


Thunderclap

by skinandbones



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Angst, Character Death, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hybrids, Implied Relationships, M/M, Multiple Relationships, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Smut, Trust Issues, Underground Dueling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-02-08 11:10:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 45,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1938687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skinandbones/pseuds/skinandbones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Adopted by DragonBlood_Katana] One night, Kuroko finds a stranger in his home, wounded and shackled. Without knowing anything about him, Kuroko takes him in and heals his wounds, but can this stranger learn to trust him? In time, Kuroko discovers that this mysterious man and the world he lives in are something else entirely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to "Thunderclap" by Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas thus it ended up as the title of this story.
> 
> I had another idea and this story happened but I'm unsure how I want this to go. I was thinking of Hybrid!Aomine (mix of human and panther) or Slave!Aomine who ran away from his previous master but maybe I'll let you readers decide?
> 
> Feel free to offer suggestions and criticisms, I would love to hear them. This story is unbeta'd so all mistakes are done by me. 
> 
> Edit: Probably going to stick with Hybrid!Aomine because I have a few ideas for future chapters

The rain splattered heavily against the windows of Kuroko’s home while the wind roughly played with the branches, repeatedly smacking against the windowpane. The sound of thunder roared loudly and awoken Kuroko from his slumber. He blinked several times, adjusting his eyes to the semi-dark room and his hand pushed his messy bed hair back. He bellowed a yawn and glanced around his room. 

He wasn’t fond of stormy nights because how they easily disturbed his sleep, but he figured a cup of tea with a dash of honey would do his body some good. Something warm with a tinge of sweetness can help him sleep better. He pulled the covers back and put on a pair of slippers before heading downstairs.

When he reached the first floor, he noticed the front door swung opened, swaying back and forth due to the wind. It even left some of the soaked leaves along the entrance way but Kuroko decided he'll take care of it later. He walked over and shut the door. With a twist of the knob, the lock was set in place. 

How strange. 

He was sure he locked the door before heading to bed.

Or did someone tried to break in?

Along the wall was a wooden stand with a vase full of flowers. He gently took the flowers out and settled them to the side, and grabbed the vase. Probably not the best of ideas but Kuroko had to make due of what he had. He held it against his chest as he walked down the hallway, barely much light from outside illuminating his way. If there was someone in his house then he best be prepared for what may come. Carefully tiptoeing, he checked the small living room and a flash of lightning erupted, allowing Kuroko to see his display of furniture and dramatic elongated shadows from it but nothing was out of place.

It was mostly quiet except the pattering of raindrops against the glass. Kuroko suddenly jumped and turned his head to the sound that came from the kitchen.

Someone is here, Kuroko thought. He swallowed a ball of nervousness down his throat and gripped his vase tightly.

Kuroko took a deep breath and prepared himself as he went to the kitchen, carefully treading forward as his free hand moving in the air to make sure he avoided bumping into his belongings. As he got closer, he froze in place when he saw a presence lying on the floor. He wasn't sure what it was but he sensed an intense aura directed at him as if he was someone's prey.

He could feel his own heart beating loudly against his chest, afraid that this stranger was going to attack him right on the spot. His hand moved to right and flipped on the light switch. The entire kitchen lit up and the figure on the floor hissed in response. The sounds of his chains rattled as he shielded his eyes from the bright intensity.

“Oh.” Kuroko stared at the figure in front of him, his mouth widened in surprise. He settled the vase down and saw the horrible state the man was in. The dark skinned male sat on the floor, dirtied with dark purple bruises on his arms along with a streak of blood down his face. His white shirt and pants were shredded and his feet covered in spots of broken skin. The man looked exhausted as if he hadn’t slept in days. Just what exactly what happened to him?

Kuroko spotted the broken glass shards next to this sudden visitor and assumed that was where the sound came from.

Many questions ran through Kuroko’s mind as he tried to get a sense of who this enigma was and the scene before him, he was afraid to even assume anything. Especially the chains, for starters.

But nonetheless, Kuroko hesitantly took a step forward and halted once he got a better view of the man. He quietly gasped at those terrifying eyes staring back at him. He tried to calm himself but hearing the low growling that almost sounded feral didn't help much. 

No words were exchange, Kuroko knew this stranger was wary of him. He felt the same but they weren’t making progress and with such hostility in the air, he had to do something. He took another step forward and lowered his knees so he was face to face.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He spoke gently to the wounded man and added a small smile while studying his face. 

He wasn't here to hurt him. No matter how many questions began popping in his head, he broke the silence between them.

"I want to help.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any OOCness in here. I had a small outline typed on my phone and I tried to type it all out on Word but I kept changing everything. I’m just writing as I go and yet I have a small idea of how I want things to happen but the problem is trying to put it in words and make sense out of it. I went through this chapter and still not too happy about it, I think it’s just my confidence hanging on the downside.
> 
> And just to let you know, Kuroko works at a daycare and gets along with the kids. Aomine hasn’t shown his whole panther look yet but I do plan on showing his shape-shifting skills somehow. I was also thinking that Kuroko doesn’t live in town but lives near it. His small house is on a hill because he enjoys grassy plains and the forest surrounding the area. It’s a quiet, peaceful place for him and he can easily bike to his work and stop by town anytime he wants!
> 
> Any comments, suggestions, or criticisms are welcome. Thanks for reading and really appreciate people liking this story :').

The stranger struggled as he propped himself against the kitchen counter, his hands gripped the edge to stop himself from falling while legs fidgeted to stay upright. 

Kuroko immediately reached out to help but the male swiped his hand away, completely rejecting him before his back met against the surface of a cabinet. He groaned and his head lifted upwards, glancing at Kuroko with a bitter expression.

Well, he was definitely stubborn but Kuroko only wanted to help. He didn’t want anything else to befall on this man. Kuroko sighed dejectedly and let out a long exhale, hoping this situation would grow better in time.

“Alright, you can stay there.” Kuroko stated. He walked over and grabbed a dust pan and brush from the cleaning closet. He figured the stranger would stay there and not kill him in the process.

Surprisingly, the man didn’t lash out at Kuroko when they saw each other so that was a plus there.

Kuroko swept the broken shards of glass into the pan while sensing an intense gaze directed at him from the side. He continued to clean while ignoring the unsettling feeling and dumped the glass into the waste basket. 

If he was going to be stared at the entire time, then might as well strike a conversation.

“I only came down to make some tea.” Kuroko put the cleaning utensils away and went to make a hot pot of water. “The storm woke me up and I find tea helps me to sleep better. Hm, would you like some?” Kuroko looked at the man and regretted doing so. Those dangerous eyes sharp as ever, shot deadly glares at him as if he was being studied. Every movement he made was taken into account. Kuroko turned his head and ignore that uneasiness. 

Once the water came to a boil, Kuroko poured it into a cup with a tea bag in it. He then brought out a small jar of honey and used a spoon to dribble some into the hot liquid.

“I usually like my tea a little sweet.” Kuroko stirred the liquid in lazy circles, the faint vanilla aroma filled the air around them. His eyes shifted and noticed how the stranger curiously looked at what he was stirring. “Do you want to try?” He turned with the cup in his hand and slightly grinned with a teasing voice, “Mr. Angel?”

“What?!” The stranger yelled loudly, his eyes widened with horror at the nickname. “It’s Aomine! Aomine Daiki!” His shackled fist raised in the air with anger. “The fuck you get that shitty name from?”

“Oh, so you do talk. I’m Kuroko Tetsuya, nice to meet you, Aomine-kun.” Kuroko greeted in politeness and glad that he progressed a little since introductions were over. “And I thought I was going to talk to myself for the rest of the night.”

“Asshole...” Aomine looked away with his arms and legs crossed. He obviously didn’t want anything to do with Kuroko.

Kuroko shook his head. “I’m sorry for that, that was impolite of me. Please, let me clean your wounds and move you somewhere comfortable. You can stay here as long as you like too. I have plenty of room.”

But he received another hateful look from Aomine so he tried again.

“What’s important now is for you to rest.” He eyed the state Aomine was in once more, particularly the manacles around his wrists, spying the red marks around the area which worried him greatly. He prayed that it wasn’t infected. 

“And that should make me trust you?”

“I’m worried about your condition… you can’t stay like this forever.”

Aomine didn’t budge a bit.

“How about this, you can have my tea…” Kuroko eyed at Aomine who stared right back at him. “If I have your permission to let me treat your wounds.”

“And why would I want your tea?” Aomine raised an eyebrow and scoffed. “It’s probably shit.”

Kuroko bent his knees and offered his tea in front of Aomine, hoping he can smell it. “You won’t know unless you try.”

“And what if I don’t drink tea? Maybe I preferred a fresh cup of blood instead?” Aomine widely grinned.

Kuroko prayed it was a joke. “Please?”

A hand reached out to grab the drink but Kuroko pulled back just in time and gave him that look. 

**You will have your tea if you agree to my proposition, yes?**

Aomine mumbled incoherently to the side which Kuroko wasn’t able to catch. “Is that a yes?”

“Fuckin’ hell. Fine.” 

Kuroko lit up with a smile and handed him the tea. 

“Careful, it’s-”

“Shit!” Aomine sputtered, his tongue burnt from the liquid. 

“Hot.” Kuroko chuckled. “Do you like it?” 

“Hn, s’okay.” He blew on it to cool it down before taking another sip. His tongue licked his lips of the sweetness.

Kuroko nodded his head, watching Aomine closely but when they caught in each other’s stare, he turned away. He much preferred the non-existing stain on the floor and his legs suddenly started to move.

“I’ll-I’ll get you some things.” Kuroko made his way out of the kitchen, unsure of what he felt back then.

Kuroko went to the bathroom and grabbed the first-aid kit stashed in the cupboard and towels from the rack. He liked how this situation didn’t turn as bad as he thought it would. He found the stranger interesting but mysterious more than anything. For one thing, he didn’t hurt him and has a mild temper. It almost reminded him of this one student he had. Amused by the thought, he grabbed the last towel and left.

He came back and turned the small lamp on in the living room. He figured he would try and bring Aomine here so he can rest on the couch. 

When he went back to the kitchen, he found Aomine sleeping. His head rested to the side with his eyes closed while his chest heaved in steady breaths as he slept. Half of the tea was left on the floor right next to him. 

Kuroko didn’t want him to sleep like this since sleeping on the floor was never a pleasant experience to begin with. He put the cup away and kneeled until he was at Aomine’s level. 

“Aomine-kun,” Kuroko whispered as he shook Aomine’s shoulder lightly. Aomine started to stir as Kuroko nudged him a bit more. Blue eyes fluttered to an open and a small groan escaped from his lips. “Sorry. Let’s get you to a more comfortable place, okay?”

“No...” Aomine mumbled like a child and closed his eyes again.

“It’ll take only a minute.” Kuroko gently added.

Aomine hummed in response and Kuroko took it as a ‘yes’. 

Kuroko may be small compared to Aomine but at least he had some strength to pull him up from the floor. All the times he cared for the children at his daycare, picking them up and spinning them around, holding onto Aomine shouldn’t be a problem.

“I’m sorry if moving you is going to hurt.” Kuroko held Aomine by the waist with a hand and another supported his back. Kuroko carefully carried him over to the living room and watched Aomine moving along with him. He made small glances to make sure Aomine wasn’t going to pass out, but he saw the look on his face and knew he was ready to sleep any minute now. 

The two walked into the living room. Kuroko placed Aomine down on the long couch and set a pillow behind his head. “I’ll take care of everything, you get some rest. You’re safe here.” He settled his hand on Aomine’s own, offering some form of comfort. Even though they just met, Kuroko wanted him to trust him. 

Aomine focused on the smaller hand over his own while Kuroko patiently waited for him to speak. He said nothing and pulled his hand away. He moved into a position he preferred and shut his eyes without saying a word.

The air between them grew steady and the remainder of the night became silent. Outside, the weather finally calmed and not a sound of rain or thunder was heard.

Kuroko came back to the living room with a bowl of warm water and towels. He rolled his sleeves up and soaked the towel, wringing the excess water out. He gently dabbed the cloth across Aomine’s face, removing the dried blood and dirt along the way. He even attempted to clean his wrists as he tried to slip the cloth between the manacle and skin which took some time to do. 

Thankfully, Aomine was a heavy sleeper which allowed Kuroko to work diligently. 

When finished, he grabbed an extra blanket from his room and placed it on Aomine to keep him warm. 

It was a lot of work but Kuroko did it. 

Aomine rustled in his sleep, his legs shifted closer to his body while he huddled deep into the blanket. His shackled hands laid on top and Kuroko touched the cold metal. He frowned in disbelief and tried to imagine who would do such a thing to him. His hand slid down and grasped the chains tightly in his palm.

“I will free you from this. I promise you.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to another chapter, though a little short. Thank you all who left kudos and comments, they really give me hope. This chapter is a change of scenery, hopefully to give you guys an idea on the 'big' picture. The next chapter will go back to Aomine and Kuroko. 
> 
> This work is unbeta'd so all mistakes are done by me. 
> 
> Any comments, suggestions, or criticisms are welcome! Please enjoy.

Somewhere hidden from the eyes of the common people was a grand underground base where it only opened to those who received an invitation. Many invites were a simple black card and on it was numbered a date in golden color. These cards traveled across the globe, bringing in men and women of high stature to attend this event. Not just themselves but with their money in hand, ready to bet on their favorite fighters. 

The rich gathered around at high top tables above the arena, a cozy and well-maintained area while waiters served their every need. From drinks to appetizers but what these patrons really wanted was the main course of tonight’s event.

The arena only had one easy rule to follow. 

Kill your opponent.

A red-haired man in a sharp black suit with a red tie arrived at the scene above the pit. His gold watch glistened in the light as he looked at the time. Only ten more minutes were left. He glanced at his attendees as they settled down and were served drinks and a light meal. 

The guests chatted with one another, some laughed and some grinned. The men spoke of tonight’s match up and breamed with confidence about who was going to win. They talked about money, even patting their checks books or wads of cash in hand. The women had their arms around their partners and added a few commentaries with light laughter while some eagerly awaited the brawl, relaxing against their seats as their sights were focused down below.

The man walked into the VIP lounge where he can watch the fights in private. He preferred to be alone without the wild enthusiasm of his guests. It wasn’t his type to mingle with the lower echelon, after all. His chromatic eyes scanned the scene below while his fighter stood behind him. 

His fighter had short gray hair slicked to the back and his face held empty eyes as he too looked at the arena. His stance poised and ready. His dark gray suit with a complimentary black tie worked well to match his physical traits. He wasn’t muscular or big like the other fighters but one could tell he was fit to hold his own.

“What do you think of today’s match, Mayuzumi?” The man broke the silence. He turned and looked at his fighter.

Mayuzumi shrugged. “I’ve heard he’s known for his fast reflexes and he’s quite the strategist during his previous matches. Though I find it annoying myself when he makes those despicable faces as a distraction when he fights. He’s not anything special, only meat being sent to his death.”

“Funny, I didn’t think such annoyances would set you off.”

“It’s a waste of time.”

“I see. Well, I trust you know what to do.” It wasn’t a question, he knew his perfect weapon was capable of immobilizing his opponents and taking the further step to please the crowd. His hand reached over and touched Mayuzumi’s own with gentleness. His fingers glided across a few black scales on the surface, simply mesmerized how beautiful they were.

“Of course, Akashi-sama.” Mayuzumi bowed his head slightly and watched Akashi’s fingers leaving his hand and moving straight to the more distinguished scales on his neck. 

Akashi hummed and wore a fond look as he looked into Mayuzumi’s eyes, shaped of a gray elliptical. He found them quite unique from the rest of the fighters who used to serve him. He preferred not to have to find another replacement.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of you.” Akashi brushed a thumb under Mayuzumi’s left eye. Mayuzumi remained in place as he allowed Akashi to touch him.

An outsider might presume they had a more personal relationship while in reality, he was only seen as something of value, a trophy only to be polished.

“It will be a quick one, Akashi-sama.”

“Good but let the crowd enjoy their meal.” Akashi responded pleasantly.

“Yes.”

A servant came into the room and bowed before Akashi. “Sir, Dr. Imayoshi from Touou Laboratory is here to see you.”

“Bring him in.” 

Imayoshi soon entered as the servant left to bring him in. Behind those spectacles was a face of a fox. He was intelligent and well-liked among his peers. He worked on many projects for Akashi and in the long run, Imayoshi was appointed as the leader of the Touou Laboratory after Akashi’s generous recommendation.

Despite a working relationship, Akashi always remained vigilant around the people he worked with.

Akashi and Imayoshi both greeted one another with a shake of hands. “I assume you’re here to tell me of good news?” He checked his watch and took note that the match was to start soon. His eyes flicked to Mayuzumi who understood the command and left the room. 

Imayoshi looked at Akashi with a slight frown. “We’re still on the lookout for him.”

“If your security was tighter and quicker to handle the problem, this situation would’ve been avoided. You’re aware of the consequences if word of this got out?” Akashi flashed a stern look.

“Of course, we started the retrieval process so it won’t be long until we find him.” Imayoshi lifted his glasses upward and laughed half-heartedly. “At least I’ve found you a temporary replacement for the time being.”

“I’m well aware. Your little lizard will be most interesting but he won’t be temporary forever.” Akashi simply stated as fact. “I do commend his efforts for making it so far though, even our guests are rooting for him.”

Both Akashi and Imayoshi can hear the guests hollering the name ‘Sakurai’ and ‘Mayuzumi’ as the two fighters appeared in the arena. 

The referee stood in the middle with his hand in the air. Both fighters were at a good distance away from the middle man. The referee looked at the two and waited. The tension continued to build and the shouts from the rich roared loudly and raised their fists in the air. 

They want the satisfaction and they want it now.

“Snap his neck!”

“Bash his brains in!”

“Kill that fucker!”

“Well then,” Akashi gestured at the available seats in front of them. “Shall we enjoy ourselves?”

“I’d be delighted.”

The referee’s hand went down. 

“Fight!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, just editing this chapter really tired me out, I need to rest haha! 
> 
> For some reason, I originally had the idea to make Aomine barely talk with Kuroko in the beginning but I think because I imagined him being this loudmouth sort of person, it sort of stuck with me. Also a special shout-out to Pas_dAutres for supporting me because how do you even deal with me? Thanks for believing!
> 
> And thank you everyone for the comments and kudos, seeing them just makes me smile a whole lot! Any comments, suggestions, or criticisms are highly welcome!
> 
> Enjoy reading.

_“Fight!”_

\--

Kuroko shook his head side to side on the empty space next to Aomine. He lifted his head and noticed he fell asleep right on the couch after cleaning his wounds. He still held the chains clutched in his hand. He didn’t mean to fall asleep, it just happened so suddenly. His gazed further up and noticed the blue-eyed male looking straight at him. It seemed Aomine was already up. But for how long? He didn’t even bothered to wake him. 

“Good morning, Aomine-kun.” 

Aomine snapped his hand back, the chains flew right out of Kuroko’s grasp. He jolted at the sudden action and got up from the floor. He bowed deeply in front of Aomine and apologized.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. How rude of me.” He lifted his head up, his face conveying sudden tenderness. “How are you feeling?”

“Why are you doing this?” Aomine snapped. He pulled the blanket back and sat up. 

Kuroko stepped back slightly. “Doing what?”

He bared his fangs at him and stepped forward until he was in Kuroko’s personal space. “All of this.” He gestured at the bandages and even took a good look at himself. His caretaker saw the confusion written on his face and waited but the tiny thought in his mind told him to run. Aomine snarled and proceeded to rip the bandages off his chest but before he could do so, Kuroko grabbed his hands, halting his attempt.

“Stop that! You have to let them heal!”

“Don’t fucking touch me!” 

A sudden gasp left his lips as he fell to the floor when Aomine shoved him unexpectedly. His back met the wooden floor and a dark hand wrapped around his neck while sharp claws readied to pierce skin. He remained entirely still, his hands gripped the muscled arm of black fur, and saw how wild Aomine’s eyes became. He glanced upward and noticed the pointed ears flattened tight to the head. His hold on him was unmovable.

“Wh-what are you?” His eyes stared in wonder especially a long tail swaying back and forth behind Aomine. Who was he exactly? He tried to move away but the weight above him kept him situated to the floor.

Aomine snorted and bent his head down until he was eye to eye with Kuroko. “I could rip your throat out now and watch you bleed til the life leaves your eyes, wouldn’t you like that?” He grinned as a claw left a clean line on his white skin. Kuroko hissed at the slight pain and felt the blood dripped down his neck. 

“Or I can just eat you. I wouldn’t mind having raw meat for breakfast.” Aomine purred with amusement and swiped the red liquid off Kuroko’s neck with his tongue. Kuroko’s entire frame shuddered at the unfamiliar sensation. If Aomine wanted to end him now then there was no choice but to accept his fate, but he couldn’t let him do that.

“If Aomine-kun wanted to kill me,” Kuroko swallowed his fear and continued. “He would’ve done it long ago. He could’ve ended my life in the kitchen but he didn’t. What’s stopping you?”

Aomine stared at him indifferently while Kuroko tried to decipher what he was thinking. The time between them felt like forever. He remained still while the grip on his neck stayed in place. He opened his mouth to speak but was immediately cut off.

“I have use for you. Once I’m healed, your life is mine.” He stated as a matter of fact.

“And once I’m dead, where will you go?”

He shrugged. “Anywhere, far away from here is a start.”

“Why? Are you running away from something?”

Kuroko saw how the man’s eyes shifted to the side, ignoring his gaze. His chest tightened, feeling sorry for him who he had no idea about but he could sense that there was something deep beneath that rough exterior. He carefully let his fingertips trailed down his arm and onto the restraints. “It’s because of this that you’re here. You wanted to be free, right? I can-”

The hand on Kuroko’s neck tightened, constricting his windpipe to the point of him gasping for air. His attempts on clawing his hand away barely worked on him. “You fucking humans and your questions. So what if I ran? I ain’t going back there.”

“You don’t have to.” He uttered every single word with a painful gasp. “Stay here, please.” 

“Tch!” He turned, his long legs carried him to the windows. He braced himself and ran straight into them. The entirety of it shattered into smaller pieces and Aomine disappeared. 

“Aomine-kun!” Kuroko coughed multiple times, trying to regain his breathing. He couldn’t leave him like this. No, he had to do something and quick. He struggled to get up and carefully avoided the broken shards as he walked over. He extended his head out the window and saw a running outline in the distance following the dirt road that led to the nearby town. If possible, he might catch him on time before it was too late.

He grabbed his bike right outside on the porch and pedaled as fast as he could. Down the pathway he went but the closer he got to town, the farther Aomine got. He called out his name too but he didn’t answer. Damn, Aomine doesn’t know this area and might get himself lost. Oh, how he prayed for luck on his side.

Once he got into town, Aomine was gone.

“Aomine-kun!” Kuroko called out as he biked down a street of small houses. “Aomine-kun!” Down another street he went and another. He turned left and right, even looked behind the dumpsters and gated areas but he wasn’t there. He checked the daycare where he worked and other school buildings around the area. His search continued as the hours passed but what he didn’t know a certain being watched him on the roof tops, following his every move.

Noon soon arrived and there was still no sign of Aomine. Kuroko grew tired from the constant pedaling so he found himself a park bench and rested to regain his strength. He gripped his hands on his lap in frustration and mentally cursed himself. He had no idea where else to look and Aomine was probably out of town by now.

From up above, a set of blue eyes stared at the depressed man below as he sat on the edge of the roof, one leg crossed and the other dangled at the end. His elbow planted on his thigh while his chin rested on his palm. His animal features were gone from sight. 

“What is with you?” He murmured.

Down below, Kuroko tilted his head until he gazed at the blue sky with a few clouds floating by. He decided to close his eyes just for a minute. He inhaled and exhaled, clearing his thoughts for a bit. The image of Aomine invaded his thoughts soon after. A sudden breeze caressed his face and hair and he breathed out a comforting sigh. His heart suddenly jumped and eyes opened at the shuffling sound and soft clanking of chains right next to him.

“Aomine-kun?” His eyes unsure of what he was seeing. He thought Aomine left town by now and yet, here he was in one piece, except his bandages were ripped open from the window he broke through. “Are you okay? You’re not bleeding, are you? Does it hurt anywhere? I don’t understand, why-”

“Argh, enough already! I get it!” Aomine flailed his arms in the air with frustration. 

“Do you?” Light blue eyes looked in disbelief.

“Look, you’re trying to prove yourself whatever it is so let’s go.” Aomine tried to explain with random motions of his hands in the air but he pointed directly at Kuroko. “I’m hungry. Make me some food.” Even his stomach growled right on time. Kuroko repressed his sudden urge to laugh at him. He let out a tiny cough to the side and asked calmly.

“A sudden change of mind, Aomine-kun?” Kuroko got up from the bench, his face serious and a finger poked him straight in the chest. “Promise me this,”

“What?” Aomine asked in an irritable tone. 

“I’ll make you food if, you explain to me everything and I mean everything. No tricks or running away. And I need to change your bandages, and you need to take a bath, and we figure out how to remove your chains. I’m doing this because I want to help you and please understand that. I don’t know who wronged you but I assure you that I’m not them.” His sky blue eyes searched in those deep orbs of blue any signs of acknowledgment and maybe, just maybe he saw a flicker of hope. “I also suggest you refrain yourself from doing anything weird.” He rubbed his neck where Aomine had licked him before.

He chortled. “Just only teasing.”

“Aomine-kun…” 

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s go.”

“Say it.”

“You’re a piece of shit, y’know?”

“Who is taking care of the bigger shit.” He pursed his lips

“Well fuck you too!” Aomine kicked a rock to the side. “I promise, alright? I’ll tell you everything I know, happy now?”

His quiet demeanor soon turned into a radiant smile. “Ah, thank you.” Pleased with the outcome, Kuroko carried on with Aomine following from behind with an annoyed air.

As they were on the familiar road back to the house, Aomine stopped short in his steps. Kuroko halted as well and tilted is head curiously. He waited for him to speak.

“How can you easily trust me?

“Why is it hard for you to accept it?”

“Because it’s not easily won. It never is.” 

“When you first came to my house, what was your purpose?”

“Purpose?”

Kuroko nodded. “Yes. You had nowhere to go so this place was your only option.”

“No…” Aomine extended the word out slowly. “But-”

“When I found you, you were injured and exhausted. You looked like hell washed over you. My home was your safe haven and you didn’t attack me. You could have but you didn’t. I believed you had plenty of chances to do so, you could’ve ripped out my throat and be done with it but here I am, standing in front of you. I think Aomine-kun is a very kind person deep inside.”

Aomine’s eyes were wide as saucers and shook his head with a disgusted look. “You’re joking.”

“You have your explanation.” Kuroko turned, a small smile hidden from Aomine’s view, and continued his walk back. “Let’s go home.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update, I did not plan this chapter to be longer than the others because I just kept writing on and on. There's a lot of information thrown at you, I guess so please bear with me. And I had to edit this several times since I was was not liking some parts and doubted myself the entire time. If you have any questions about this chapter or anything in general, go ahead and ask away.
> 
> Also, I'm looking for someone to help me beta this so if you're interested, please let me know! You can tell me here or on Tumblr (ahintofblue). 
> 
> Comments, suggestions, and criticisms are welcome!
> 
> Enjoy and stay tune!

_“You have your explanation.” Kuroko turned, a small smile hidden from Aomine’s view, and continued his walk back. “Let’s go home.”_

\--

The house came to view as the two arrived. Kuroko let out a puff of air once he saw the noticeable broken window.

“Once everything is settled, I’ll have to see if I can get the window replaced.”

“Don’t have a spare lying around?” Aomine asked. 

“No, so please don’t jump out of the window.” Kuroko said with a firm tone. 

“I got it, I got it.” Aomine yawned loudly while he stretched his arms out in the air. His stomach grumbled once more and he rubbed his stomach in a small circular manner.

Kuroko patted his arm and smiled. “Is there anything you like to eat?”

Aomine pulled away from his touch. “Not really.”

“Alright. I’ll make something quick then.” He parked his bike right on the porch and went inside. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be in the kitchen.” 

Aomine stayed silent and entered the living room, settling himself down on the plush couch. He laid down with his arms around the back of his head and shut his eyes. Kuroko watched his movements and once he got himself acclimated, he went to the kitchen. 

Kuroko washed his hands and prepared rice firsthand before taking out the necessary ingredients from the fridge. After washing the chicken, he sliced them into smaller pieces, covered them with seasoning, and placed them in the heated pan with oil. While waiting for the chicken bits to fully cook, he chopped up some carrots, onions, and a mix of green and red peppers. He placed it in another heated pan and let that cook itself. He stirred the chicken and once it was ready, he grabbed a plate from the cabinet, and pour the contents on it.

During the cooking process, he had no idea he was being watched. Aomine smelt the aroma coming from the kitchen that woke him from his rest and wanted to see what Kuroko was preparing. He leaned on the kitchen entrance as Kuroko stirred the mix vegetables in the pan. 

“It’s almost finished.” Kuroko lifted his head, hiding the small spark of happiness as he noticed his watcher standing in the back. He knew he was there all along, he just chose not say anything. A familiar feeling struck him, how he longed for those days when his grandmother taught him her cooking techniques. There were good and bad times; the bad times were mostly him overcooking and burning the food, and the good times were his grandmother praising him. She taught him all he needed to know before she passed away a year later.

“-ello? –roko! Oi!”

Kuroko snapped out of his thoughts and didn’t seem to notice that Aomine was looking down on him while the vegetables were still sizzling. 

“You’re going to burn it!” Aomine yelled.

“Ah, you’re right. Sorry, I was just reminiscing.” He cracked a smile and shut the fire. He emptied the contents onto the plate of steaming chicken.

“Oh?” Aomine raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm, yeah.” Kuroko ended with that. It was a story saved for another time.

“Why don’t you grab a seat? I’ll get us a drink and utensils.” He set the food on the dinner table while Aomine pulled a chair and sat.

From the cabinet, he grabbed a few bowls and chopsticks and set Aomine’s in front of him. Aomine continued to eye at him as he moved around the kitchen. Kuroko grabbed a pitcher of water from the fridge and poured both of them a cup. Before taking a seat at the table, he scooped up two bowls of steaming rice. 

“If you want seconds, let me know.” Kuroko closed his eyes and brought his two hands together. “Thanks for the food.” He glanced at Aomine who in turn looked at him back. He expected him to dig in immediately but maybe he just needed a small push? He took his chopsticks and picked some meat and vegetables into Aomine’s bowl. “Go ahead. I hope you’ll like it.”

“Thanks for the food...” Aomine quietly spoke and ravaged a chunk of the rice with the meat and vegetables in one attempt. Kuroko froze, his chopsticks hanging in the air. Eating at such a fast pace, he started to choke which startled Kuroko in his stupor. 

“Here, drink this!” Kuroko handed him a cup of water and Aomine chugged the entire thing. He gasped with relief as he wiped his mouth with his hand and continued to eat. He awkwardly used the chopsticks and shoved the leftover rice in his mouth before asking Kuroko for more.

“I take it you enjoyed it?” Kuroko took the bowl and filled it with another serving of rice. 

“It’s fucking amazing! Better than eating raw meat every day. Shit gets boring, y’know?”

“Raw meat?” Kuroko raised an eyebrow as he handed the filled bowl to him. Aomine nodded as he shoved more food into his mouth while Kuroko ate at his own pace. 

“Mostly salvage meat from our opponents. We eat who we kill. Can’t let it go to waste.” Aomine ate more and asked for Kuroko a refill. 

Kuroko looked at him shockingly as he took the bowl. His heart stopped in that moment and tried to discern what he was saying. “You eat human flesh?”

“WHAT?! No! We’re shape-shifters originally but you humans call us hybrids. I eat their flesh, a shape shifter’s...”

Kuroko appallingly mouthed an ‘o’ and wondered what he was going to get himself into. Shape-shifters? Aomine eating his own kind? Sounded something from a horror film. Aomine sighed and ruffled his hair back. “Okay, give me some rice and I’ll start from the beginning, okay? Because seriously, you look like you’ll grow some gray hairs soon.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry. It’s just a bit unsettling.” Another bowl of steaming rice was handed to Aomine. “From the beginning, please.”

Before he explained, he finished the rice and the chicken with mixed vegetables. He patted his stomach full of food with a large smile on his face. He started his explanation as Kuroko listened intently.

It wasn’t just Aomine who was a shape-shifter. There were others like him from a faraway land where no human tread but somehow they found a way so it was the duty of the shape-shifters to protect what was theirs. Humans invaded their territories and destroyed their homes. A young man named Akashi Seijurou was in charge of capturing them but they weren’t going down without a fight. Aomine, with his ability to shift into a panther, fought alongside his comrades. Many animals came together despite their differences but all of that came to an end. The battle was lost and many were taken. Aomine was sent to Touou Laboratory where he met Dr. Imayoshi. He was in the charge of the experiments that were done to him.

“It’s not just this lab, there are others where we’re being treated like nothing but specimens. Touou, not too long ago, created a serum that enhances my ability to regenerate from any injuries but,” Aomine held his wrists up to show Kuroko the shackles. “These here limit my power to shift. The regenerating ability will only work in my panther form. If these were off, I wouldn’t be here to begin with.” He huffed and crossed his arms. The chains clinked as he moved.

The reason they were called hybrids because every shape-shifter was given a special ability. Each laboratory created a serum to make them ‘better’ than they originally were. They created killing machines and eventually some sided with the humans. That one snake bastard obeyed his every command and it pissed Aomine off. 

“Hybrids, it’s unnatural. I’m not them, I refuse to bow down to the humans.” 

He added with great distaste that he was repeatedly tortured on the lab table to dictate the serum’s ability to work. If it was not satisfied by Imayoshi’s standards then the process had to be repeated. The serum was changed many times and the crazy doctor had no qualms about taking risks. Aomine killed many shifters in battle, his hands stained in blood and their deaths heavily reminded him that he cannot escape this life. Once in a while, Imayoshi would praise him, especially how his regeneration did well on his body. 

“Fuckin’ hell, that bastard.” His fist slammed the wooden table in anger while his body shook with intensity of displeasure. Kuroko looked at him with remorse and grabbed his hands into his. His thumb brushed his hand from side to side while Aomine made no moves of resisting.

“I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve this.” Kuroko looked at the shackles. He’ll do anything to free this man, he promised him that.

“You can’t remove them.” Aomine blurted out as if he knew what Kuroko was thinking.

“You don’t know that. I’ll find someone who can.”

“Imayoshi is the only one who has access to this. You can’t.”

“Let me try.” He said forcefully. 

Aomine groaned and waved his hand away. He gave a ‘whatever’ and continued with his story. He mentioned the underground arena. Every week a fight was held and it was a given fact that you had to kill your opponent. The reward? You get to live another day. Refusal wasn’t an option and to those who did were put to death. Afterwards, it was found out that the laboratories used their bodies for further study.

“What I said about raw meat. It was our only food source. We eat what we kill. That was part of the reward too. Look-”

He stopped as he saw Kuroko holding back tears as his eyes grew watery. 

“Did-did you know them?” Kuroko asked solemnly. His heart was full of sorrow. “They were your friends, weren’t they?”

Aomine looked away, his eyes gazing at the small window that viewed vast distance of green and blue.

“No. Even if they were, they were long gone. Heh, now I think about it… I might be the last of my kind, isn’t that grand?” He turned and beamed a toothy smile.

“They say a person who smiles a lot is the one who is in a lot of pain.” He gripped his shirt where his heart beat with every emotion possible. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe in. With strength in his words, he said to Aomine. “You’re not alone anymore. Here and now you have me as a friend.”

Aomine roared with laughter as he slapped his leg several times. “Stupid. I’ve abandoned everything and that kept me alive to this day. I don’t need anybody.” He ended with that.

Warm arms suddenly wrapped around him. Kuroko held his head into his chest, combing through the messy hair. His body racked with emotions. What Aomine couldn’t see were the tears trailing down his face. 

“You shouldn’t keep your feelings to yourself.” He held onto Aomine a little longer. His voice was but a whisper in the air. “You’ve been through a lot and suffered greatly. You don’t have to hold everything in so please, Aomine-kun, won’t you share your pain with me?” He even brushed the shell of Aomine’s ears before returning his slow caresses on his hair. A small purring sound was heard and Kuroko couldn’t help but listen to it.

He wasn’t expecting an answer so the question was left hanging. He pulled back and returned to his usual self. “Come on. You are in need of a bath.” Aomine looked at him and shifted his gaze to the floor.

Kuroko tugged his arm and both went to the bathroom. When they’re inside, Kuroko filled the tub with warm water and pointed the various soaps that he can use. Also the towels to the side when he was finished. Once done with the explanation, Aomine immediately took off old shirt and pants. Kuroko turned beet red and swiftly looked the other way. 

“O-oh, umm… You can take the bandages off. I’ll wrap with new ones for you once you’re finished. If you need anything else, just call me. In the meantime, I’ll go find you some clothes you can wear.” He said really quickly.

“Hey, Tet…su?” The nickname rolled slowly off his tongue as if he was testing it.

“Y-yes?” Kuroko answered as he looked somewhere else. The potted orchid on the window needed tended to.

“Thanks.”

Surprise lifted his face as he looked straight at him, carefully not tempting himself to look downwards. “You’re welcome.” He walked out and shut the door behind him, giving Aomine his own privacy. His back relaxed against the door while he exhaled a lofty breath.

He went to his bedroom and browse through his set of clothes. Though each article of clothing he went through wouldn’t fit Aomine since he was bigger than him so he looked for ones that’ll stretched. It would probably be a good idea to go to town later and buy some outfits for him. He lifted up a white t-shirt with blue stripes and stretchy black pants. These can make do for now.

Clothes in hand, he went to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Aomine-kun? I’ll leaves the clothes by the door. They might be a bit small so later we can go into town and do some shopping.” He waited for a response but all he heard swishing of water and spouting curses. He pressed his ear to the door and heard some frustrating noises.

“I’m coming in.” He turned the door knob and went in.

He gasped as he saw Aomine trying to fiddle with the shower knobs. Both cold and hot water were set to the max which overfilled the bathtub. The bathroom floor became more than just a puddle of water. He dropped the clothes on the floor and immediately rushed over to close the running water. He took out the stopper and let the water go down a bit, just enough so it won’t overflow again. 

“What happened?” He grabbed some towels and soaked some of the water out. 

Aomine muttered lowly about wanting more hot water but he said ‘stupid dials were stupid’.

“Sorry, it’s my fault. I should’ve told you about them.” He hummed and saw how Aomine tch’ed and relaxed in the water. 

“Want me wash your hair?

“I’m not a child!” Aomine’s voice rang deeply as he glared intensively at him. “I can do it myself.”

“I know you’re not a child but I want to help. Can you close your eyes for me?”

Aomine rolled his eyes, his entire face looked like he wanted to rage even further. But his face relaxed and he sank deeper into the water, just up to his neck, and shut his eyes. Kuroko took that as a ‘yes’ and rolled his sleeves up. He bent his knees down, his pants a little wet from the water. He poured shampoo on his hand and started massaging Aomine’s head. The suds accumulated as his nails dug into his scalp. Kuroko could hear the small purring and what surprised him the most was the sudden panther ears appearing. 

He curiously took the ears in his soapy hands and rubbed them with tenderness. A louder purr resulted from the man.

“I have a question,” Kuroko stopped for a moment. “How did you escaped?” His panther ears twitched and Aomine took a deep breath. He dunked his head fully into water to remove the soap. He got back up for air and shook his head side to side, the water splattering all over.

“Ah!” Kuroko raised his hands to block the upcoming droplets but some passed through him. He even saw that small curl of a smile on the shifter’s face. Oh, he did that on purpose!

He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a tired sigh. “You really want to know?”  
Kuroko nodded his head and scooped some water on Aomine’s head. Areas around the head still felt soapy so he took his time washing it out. “I do.”

“One of the shape-shifters, Wakamatsu, managed to free himself and me. Don’t know why he picked me, I thought he was going crazy. We never got along in the first place anyways, we fought and argued. He was the type to never shut up, fucking hyenas. But I’ll give you this, he got balls. We ran as fast our legs could carry us. Wakamatsu just knew the way and I followed but they found us eventually. They shot at us and he told me to just keep running and not look back. He said he’ll stay behind to fend the guards off while I escaped. Don’t know what happened to him after that.”

“Maybe he’s alive?”

He sneered. “I wouldn’t count my marbles.” 

“Your friend was a brave man though.”

“He was a fool. That’s all he was.”

He lastly added how he ran for days and nights, getting as far as he can. He passed through the vast lands and eventually ended up at his house. 

Before Kuroko could ask another question, Aomine submerged his head in the water once more. He came up and stood up from the bathtub, his entire body glistened as the water trailed down his body. One foot already out of the bathtub and Kuroko handed him a large towel.

“When you’re done, I’ll bandage your wounds.” He turned his head, hiding the embarrassment on his face. He left the bathroom quickly with the clothes in his hand.

Once Aomine finished, he found Kuroko in his bedroom with the bandages placed at his side. “Come and sit.” He patted the empty spot next to him and Aomine sat down, the second half of his body clothed in a towel, leaving his upper half free. Kuroko studied the bruises and wounds, and luckily founded the areas were not infected.

“I found some salve so this should hasten the healing process.” Kuroko scooped some with his fingers and applied it to the necessary spots. Aomine sat there quietly and watched those fingers apply with feather-like touches. After the salve, he wrapped the bandages with great care and handed him the clothes soon after.

“They might be a little small.”

Aomine picked the shirt up and compared it to his chest. “Seriously?”

“Try it on?” Kuroko tilted his head innocently. 

He tried it, it was definitely tight on him and it didn’t even cover his stomach. Kuroko saw how irritated he was so he handed the pants next, promising that it was a little better. Aomine snatched the pants and threw the towel at his face. Once he took the towel off, Aomine was fully clothed. The stretchy pants was in fact better than he expected. It hugged his waist without a problem and the length went up to his knees.

“It’s not bad.” He said truthfully though he couldn’t help but chucked at the shirt. “It brings out your muscles quite well, Aomine-kun.”

Aomine’s eyes widened and denied it with a wave of his hand. “That’s not funny! I can’t go out looking like this!” 

“I think the ladies will love it. It’s a new trend.”

“You’re ridiculous! Nobody goes out like this!”

“And you’re incredible.” Kuroko smiled warmly. “Why don’t we head out and we’ll get you ones that fit you?”

“Fuck no! Told you I’m not going out.”

“You can just wear something over it.”

“It’s not going to fit me. And besides,” He held his chains up. “Have you forgotten? Wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea.” He insinuated with a grin.

“Oh... well, you’re right about that.” He massaged the back of his neck and chuckled. He didn’t want people guessing what kind of relationship they had. He shuddered at the thought if someone insinuated that they were involved in BDSM. That would be quite the conversation. Luckily when Aomine was in town before, no one spotted him so at least the awkward questions were avoided.

“I’ll go and buy you some clothes then.” He sat up and went to his closet to grab his small bag. “I’ll be back. If you’re hungry still, there’s some food in the fridge.”

“Yeah, yeah…”Aomine laid down on Kuroko’s bed, his arms spread out on the sheets. “Go.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit then.”

Once he left the room, Aomine stared at the ceiling and thought about the events that transpired. He shifted his body to the side and buried his head into the pillows, inhaling a pleasant, familiar scent of the tea he had before. His ears jerked when he heard the door shut. He slowly got up and looked out the window. Down below he saw Kuroko riding his bike and rode until he was just a speck in the distance. He grabbed a chair from the wooden desk and sat himself down. His arms rested on the window still and position his head on it. He could feel the warmth of the sun on his face and the gentle wind tickled his arms. This new world he was in, it almost reminded him of home.

~*~

The sliding doors opened as Kuroko took a step inside Aida’s Wear & Flare. A young girl stood behind the cash register as she counted her inventory. She adjusted the pins in her caramel hair as a strand of hair fell in front of her.

“There’s one of that and five more in the back. Probably should order another case of this.” She wrote the details down in her notepad.

“Ah, good afternoon Riko-san.” 

“Oh, Kuroko!” Riko, the owner of the clothing store, waved at him. At such a young age, she took over once her father retired. She exceeded far beyond her father’s expectations and continued to make the business grow. The customers loved the varieties of clothing, discounts, and Riko’s ability to make you come back for more. She always made sure customers were satisfied once they purchased their items. She put her notepad down and walked over with a bright smile on her face.

“It’s been a while. How’ve you been?” She hugged him tightly.

He returned the hug with much enthusiasm. “Everything is well, nothing much has changed. Work at the daycare has been good, the children can be quite the bunch though.” Of course he kept silent about Aomine to himself. 

“I can imagine.” She winked at her. “Now then, anything in particular you’re looking for? We got new shipment in today if you want to take a look.” She pointed at the stacks of summer shirts at the front of the place. “We also have a sale on jeans and if you’re particularly looking for swim trunks because it’s the perfect time of the year to head to the beach, we got a buy one, get one half the price sale!”

“Thank you, Riko-san. I’ll keep them in mind and take a look around.”

“Great, if you need any help, don’t be a stranger.” She smiled and spotted more customers coming in. She head on over to greet them.

As Kuroko passed by a few racks of clothes, he saw the number of selections for him to choose but there were just too many to sift through. So he decided to look at the ones that came in. He went to the rack of summer shirts and picked out a few which he believed was Aomine’s size. Next came the pants and he grabbed a variety of jeans and shorts. He realized buying clothes for someone added a little fun in his life but the real question came to mind. How long was Aomine going to stay? He asked him to stay before but Aomine hadn’t given him an exact reply. Maybe he would really leave once his wounds are healed? Perhaps that was one possibility to consider.

But what if he didn’t want to leave? What was the likeliness of that?

He shouldn’t think about it too much, it was all up to him. If he wanted to leave then Kuroko wouldn’t force him to stay. It was his decision alone but deep down, he didn’t want him to go.

Once shopping was done, he went to the counter to pay. Riko looked at the clothing and Kuroko with a questioning look. She was giving him a peculiar look because they both knew that the clothes were not his size.

“Are these for someone?” She asked as she rang each item.

“They are.”

“Are you hiding a secret man in your love life? If so, then I want details.” She hinted teasingly and winked. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it safe between us friends.”

Kuroko rolled his eyes as he easily made up a lie. “You’re mistaken. These clothes are for a relative of mine whose planning on staying here for a while. He asked me to help him do some shopping.”

“Is that so?” She asked lightly. “Well, you’re quite a helpful guy. If you do find someone though, best to let me know, okay? I’ll invite you guys to my place and I’ll whip up some of my cooking. Riko’s special curry beef!”

“…That’s very kind of you.” The last time Kuroko had any of her cooking was when she and her husband held a charity event. Riko was in charge of making stew and that was something he would not want to try again. It wasn’t only him who had a stomach ache but there were others who had a bad experience. Some wanted to throw up and others passed out in their seats, it felt like a murder scene almost. The most shocking part was Riko not seeing what was wrong with her food. She thought adding more protein powder and strawberries would help with digestion. It was a meltdown in the end.

“Great! I look forward to it.”

Once she rang the items up, Kuroko paid in cash and bid Riko a nice day. He walked out of the store and placed the bags in the small basket attached to the bike. With enough time to do a few more errands, he biked to the supermarket and bought tonight’s dinner. With the afternoon close to a finish, he headed back home.

~*~

“I’m home.” He called out.

He took off his shoes and settled the bags with food down in the kitchen and kept the clothes with him. He noticed the house was quiet, a bit too quiet so he went to find Aomine. Seeing how he wasn’t downstairs, he went upstairs to his room. 

“Aomine-kun?” He opened the door and what he saw looked like a sleeping cat on the window still. The entire room was still except the small snores coming from Aomine. Kuroko placed the clothes to the side and walked over. The shape-shifter’s breathing was calm and body relaxed. His ears out and twitched at random intervals, while his long black tail hugged around his body. 

His hand reached out and gently stroked Aomine’s head. He really liked the feel of it, how smooth like a baby. Instinctively his head slightly moved side to side against his touch and made Kuroko beamed more. He found it really adorable and continued, but when he was about to pull away, the long tail shot out and wrapped around Kuroko’s waist, tugging his body closer.

“W-wh-what? Aomine-kun?” His eyes expanded and a hint of warmth ran across his face even more as Aomine rested his head on Kuroko’s chest. 

“Mom…”

He felt a pang in his chest and frowned in dismay.

“I’m sorry.” Kuroko whispered. He continued his caresses through Aomine’s hair while he remained in place with the warm tail still curled around him. He looked out the window and pondered the view Aomine was looking at. How long has it been since he seen a view like this? The setting sun decorated the sky of warm reds and oranges, and the solitude welcomed both of them for as long it allowed.


	6. Chapter 6

_“I’m sorry.” Kuroko whispered. He continued his caresses through Aomine’s hair while he remained in place with the warm tail still curled around him. He looked out the window and pondered the view Aomine was looking at. How long has it been since he seen a view like this? The setting sun decorated the sky of warm reds and oranges, and the solitude welcomed both of them for as long it allowed._

\--

The resonation of a guitar filled the bedroom while long fingers strummed the strings, creating a soothing melody of music. His eyes closed as he thought of one note at a time. 

A loud ding from his cell phone instantly disturbed his quiet time. He slightly moaned and picked it up. One message notification appeared on screen so he opened it with a slid of a finger. He lifted an eyebrow as he read the contents and glanced at the naked man on his bed, with white sheets covering his lower half.

“Hey, time to get up sleepy head.” He walked over and sat on the side of the bed.

“Aww, five more minutes?” His golden tail wagged lazily from side to side as yawning man fell onto the shorter man’s lap. His arms slid underneath the man’s shirt and wrapped around his waist. His hands climbed up his back while snuggling his face into well-toned chest. 

“Oi, Kise. That’s enough.”

Kise pulled him down on the bed until the black haired man lay on top of him. His hands left his back and groped the firm globes of the fully clothed butt. 

“Ka-sa-mat-su-cchi.” He grinned at every syllable. 

“Get off me! And put on some clothes!” Kasamatsu blushed shortly after and tapped the man’s head with his cell phone repeatedly. “We got work to do.” He got off the bed and tucked his shirt back in his pants.

“Kasamatsucchi is so mean to me!” The blond haired man cried as he rubbed his head, his ears pointed downwards sadly.

“And don’t call me that!” Kasamatsu huffed.

“Fine…” He pouted as he got up. He went to grab his wrinkled dress shirt and pants off the floor. 

“What’s the job anyways?”

Kasamatsu pressed a red button on the wall which brought up an entire weapon inventory. He loaded his gun and brought extra bullets for him just in case. He placed one in his gun holder strapped to his waist and an extra one in his coat. He also packed a briefcase with a tranquilizer gun and a few sleeping darts to go with it.

“We’re retrieving an escapee.”

“Huh, seriously? Somebody actually got away? Who is it?”

“Aomine Daiki from Touou.”

“Wait a second,” He gave a quick thought. “No way! Aominecchi?! How the hell did he get out?”

“Seems like he had help. His accomplice been taken out already and was sent to processing.”

“I see.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice.

“Think of it this way.” Kasamatsu walked over and rubbed his ears. “You’ll get to bring him back home alive.”

“If senpai thinks so.” He uttered softly.

Kasamatsu sighed and ruffled Kise’s hair playfully. “You will.” His tone darkened just a slight bit. He stopped and grabbed a slim, black metal collar on the desk.

Kise’s shoulders immediately sank. “Do I have to wear it? You know I won’t run, I’m always good to you. Please?” He pleaded. He walked over and cuddled on Kasamatsu’s shoulder. His tail excitingly whipped back and forth.

“Rules are rules. You know that.” Kasamatsu turned and held the collar to Kise’s neck. He grimaced as he heard the soft clink of metal and a blue light started blinking once it was on.

Kise rubbed his neck, feeling how uncomfortable it was. 

“Let’s go. Even with those chains on, Aomine probably has a good distance between us.” 

Kise silently gave a ‘yes’ and both moved to the last point where Aomine was spotted.

They reached the underground warehouse storage and noticed the state it was in. It was in shambles, as if someone took a dynamite and exploded the entire place. Wooden splinters from broken crates splattered everywhere, along with shattered glass. There was even a spot on the ground where dried blood settled. Kasamatsu explored the area as he carefully treaded over the clutter of mess. Kise done the same and found a hole big enough to fit a person. Using his sense of smell, he could tell the panther was all over this. He even felt a slight airy flow coming through the hole too. 

Kasamatsu came over and watched what Kise was doing. He took note of it and opened his cell phone, typing a quick message to Imayoshi. 

“Whatcha typing there?” Kise looked up.

“Updating Doctor Imayoshi about this. We also have another problem to address.”

“We do?”

He nods. “One man couldn’t have done this. There may be more than one party who was in on it. Can’t you tell?”

Kise placed his hand on the rocky opening and felt the rigidity, cool surface. He took a loose piece of rock from it and sniffed it. “There were several here. Can’t exactly pinpoint who they are though…”

“Hm. I’ll let him know about it.” Kasamatsu finished his last message to the doctor and called security. Once he got hold of the person currently on the job, he mentioned about going through the warehouse’s video feeds. Security agreed and will get him the information as soon as possible.

“Now then, we have a job to do.” He said once he hung up.

Both reached the upper level and found the dug up entrance around where the warehouse would be. The hole was covered well, with many large branches and leaves.

“Look senpai, tracks.” Kise pointed as a pair of feet continued onwards, away from their arena. 

“Good, let’s go.”

Kise bent on all fours as his transformation started. His entire body shifted into a golden retriever, his eyes glowed a golden light with his long, light brown coat shimmering in the sunlight. He barked happily as he ran around Kasamatsu, he even jumped as his paws reached his chest.

It has been a while since Kise went out. He was already feeling cooped up in that place and the feeling of touching dirt instead of the cold, steel floor was most gratifying.

“KISE! DOWN!”

The golden retriever jumped and whimpered but Kasamatsu shook his head as he felt a headache coming on. 

“Find that panther!”

Without time to waste, Kise followed the footsteps while Kasamatsu trailed behind.

As time passed, they were still on the right path but as they reached the river, Kise turned back into his human form with a troubling look.

“The tracks stopped here.” He stared at the wide bank and watched the river flowing. He bent his knees and gathered water in his hands. The cool liquid splashed onto his face and he gathered more to cool his neck down. “He could’ve crossed here and ended up somewhere over there.” He pointed at the area in front of them. “Or he went down stream…”

“We’ll just have to get across and go from there. Aomine probably has a one track mind and continued forward.” Kasamatsu said simply. 

“You got it. Just hang onto me and we’ll swim across. The current isn’t so bad so we should be there in no time!”

Kasamatsu didn’t seem too fond of being wet and Kise already changed into a dog. Kise barked at him and waited for him to get in the water.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Kasamatsu went to Kise and wrapped around him while holding his briefcase tightly. The dog started to paddle across while his owner clung to him while moving his legs. 

Once they got to the other side, both of them lay on the ground exhausted, breathing heavily as they were dripping wet. Kise shook the water off of him and Kasamatsu shouted at him to watch it.

After wringing out his shirt and laying it out to dry, he sat on a dry log. “We’ll take a small break. Rest up and get some food. I’ll get a fire started and see if you can find something for us to eat.”

“You got it!” Kise saluted and vanished into the woods.

While Kasamatsu prepared a fire, Kise looked around carefully, not to make any noises. Even though he was able to be apart from Kasamatsu, he wasn’t allowed to travel far. With the collar around his neck, he was able to go a certain distance before the blinking blue right becomes a bright red. It would somewhat immobilize the wearer, sending an electric shock until he or she headed back to a safe distance. If the wearer refused to comply and fought against it, the collar will self-destruct. Many had tried and lost their lives in the end. 

Kise successfully caught them a rabbit which he was praised for and had his ears scratched. Kasamatsu shed the rabbit skin off and prepared the meat by the fire. The two ate quietly before continuing their search once more. Kasamatsu was right about Aomine being a one track mind, he found footprints leading from where he got out of the river and straight into the woods. It was too easy for them.

~*~  


The giant figure roared as he slammed into his opponent, knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. Blood spurted out of his mouth and coughed harshly. The larger man continued forward and picked the shifter up. His legs frantically moved him back before he was picked up. They failed to get him far.

“How boring…” His large hands gripped the man’s neck as he struggled to attack back. He clawed at his arms but his defense was an unbreakable shield like a diamond. He tried to gasp for breath but the hand increased in strength. He couldn’t breathe and his attempts to break free grew less. Before he knew it, the fighter snapped his neck. The body fell to the floor with a thump.

The training room boomed with great excitement but others feigned ignorance, refusing to believe a dead shifter was lying on the ground. They hated to fight and hated others who sided with the humans.

Across from the fighters was a glass room where one can watch the shifters train. Akashi saw the whole spectacle with a glass of wine as he sat with dark haired man with a mole under his right eye.

“He’s quite the fighter. It seems he’s doing quite well in his training. A job well done, Tatsuya.” Akashi complimented as he sipped his drink. 

“You flatter me. I did nothing of the sort. He’s just particularly strong to begin with. He doesn’t ask for much either, as long as he gets to eat, he’s quite obedient.”

“How fortunate of you to have him in your care then. I expect great results from you.”

Himuro nodded his head in thanks and watched how his fighter was leaning towards the body, his mouth wide open.

“If you excuse me, Akashi-sama.” Himuro left his seat and quickly stepped into the training room. He commanded his fighter his stop and he did without trouble.

“But Muro-chin, I’m hungry.” 

“Atsushi,” Himuro patted the gigantic man’s head. “You know I won’t stop you from eating but you don’t have to eat this,” He looked at the corpse. “Alright? Let’s go back and I’ll get you something better.” 

“Okay, let’s go then.” 

“Good,” Himuro eyed at the other fighters-in-training. “Study what you’ve learned today and I expect improvements tomorrow. Dismiss.” He lightly pushed Murasakibara’s back and they walked out of the room.

Akashi swished his glass of wine and downed the rest. He finished his check on Yosen for today and next was Shuutoku. With a sudden rapt on the door, Doctor Imayoshi walked in.

“Akashi-sama,” He said with a bow. From his mobile device, he pulled up a hologram of pictures taken from the incident. “Kaijou’s been dispatched. From their findings where Aomine was last seen, they’ve concluded that there could be more parties involved. Kasamatsu already requested security to look into their video feeds and we’ll go from there.”

“Good,” Akashi snapped the wine glass in half. “Once you find them, strip them of everything, no food or water for a week. We’ll put them to good use after.”

“W-what do you plan on doing?” 

“Just a demonstration.” Akashi smiled as he dropped the broken glass. “Would be terrible of me to not set an example.”

~*~  


“Hey Shin-chan, have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“That Aomine escaped.”

“Hn. That fool won’t get far.”

“Some are betting that he’s coming back and some think differently. What you say?”

“I’m not wasting my time thinking useless things, nanodayo.” He shifted his glasses up.

“But he got out, didn’t he?” Takao said as he grabbed Midorima’s hand and fixed the taping. “Hey! Maybe we should es-” but Midorima covered his mouth. His intense eyes stared hard at his partner.

“Don’t carelessly throw your life away, Takao.”

Takao grabbed Midorima’s hand and placed it on his lap, squeezing it tightly. “Shin-chan, I would fly both of us out of here in a heartbeat.”

“I know.” His eyes softened and pulled Takao close to him while brushing a few strands of hair behind his ear. “Endure it just a bit longer.”  


~*~  


The sunset soon fell to night. Kuroko thought it would be best to get dinner ready but Aomine slept, he couldn’t just leave the room yet. Though Aomine shifted in his sleep and soon his eyes opened to a pair of light blue staring right back at him.

“Hey.” 

“H-huh?” Aomine blinked and looked at where he was situated. 

“Had a good nap?” 

“What?!” He shot out of his seat and stepped away. Kuroko chuckled, how he found it very amusing to see Aomine all surprised. “What are you doing?”

“Me? I didn’t do anything. You moved in your sleep and ended up on me. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Yeah, right…” He said in disbelief.

“It’s true.” Kuroko tried to explain. “I found you sleeping near the window. It just happened.”

“Heh, bet you were trying to force yourself on me.”

Kuroko felt this night was going to be a long one. “What are you talking about, Aomine-kun?” He raised his voice. “I’m not that kind of person. Have I done anything to you?”

“Yeah!” He scoffed. “Obviously!”

“And what is that?”

“Your kindness! It’s fucking disgusting and infuriating. How I’m still here is the biggest question…”

Kuroko frowned. “It’s not terrible to know someone is looking out for you.”

“Tch, like you would know!”

“I do.”

“Says a man who lives in this dull house by himself. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.”

Kuroko drew a shuddering breath, trying to calm himself down. Don’t think too much about this, he said to himself, he doesn’t understand. But every second, his heart was breaking apart.

“What about your mother, Aomine-kun? Didn’t she-”

“Don’t fucking bring her into this!” He kicked the chair to the side while his muscles tensed. His hands fisted into a tight grip on his side as if ready to lashed out like last time. 

“You called out to her when you’re sleeping.” He said calmly as possible. “You miss her a lot, don’t you?”

“Get out of my way.” Aomine marched passed him, heading to the bedroom entrance but Kuroko grabbed his arm.

“Don’t do this again. You can tell me anything, I won’t let you suffer this by yourself!” Kuroko desperately tugged him back but with their difference in strength, Aomine wouldn’t budge at all. He had to keep him from leaving.

Aomine threw him to the side and just when he set one foot out, Kuroko appeared in front of him, arms wide apart though he was afraid that he’ll get hurt. He had to try something.

“Get out of my way.”

Kuroko trembled and continued. “No, I won’t. Listen to me!” 

“You wish for death? So be it.” Aomine widened his mouth and bared his fangs at him. He was about to strike but Kuroko cried out.

“My grandmother!” He began, his heart beating quick as he felt his eyes watering. “She passed away, she was all I had growing up. We were happy together, just the two of us living in this house. This place is full of memories... Every single day, she wore a smile and every single day, she was close to dying. She had a heart condition and... I was…” His tears streamed down his face but he didn’t want to stop, he had to continue. He took a deep breath as he looked at the shape-shifter painfully.

“Really angry at myself for a long time because I couldn’t do anything to save her. I told her many times that I was sorry but she told me to keep smiling and live. She was happy.” He swallowed and looked at Aomine who stood there listening. He kept on. “I’d do anything to go back in time but it’s impossible.” His voice strained and begged for the last time. 

“I want you to stay, this can be your new home. We’ll create new memories and I’ll help you go through anything, if you ask of me.”

Aomine showed a slight amazement while remaining completely silent. He reverted his fangs back and turned around. He sat on the bed completely in thought and rubbed his head, grumbling.

He sighed with relief that Aomine stayed. Thankfully his words reached him somehow. He sat down next to him but gave him some space.

Aomine looked up at the ceiling before speaking his mind at Kuroko. “My mom was always there for me, even after my father passed away. She looked out for me… always told me to be careful but I didn’t listen to her. I was a trouble maker back when I was a kid, always got into fights with the other cubs. Mom would scold me, told me I shouldn’t fight because she didn’t like seeing me hurt. It upset her so I promised I would stop. Didn’t stop me from learning to defend myself though, bunch of friends and I trained each other.”

His eyes lit up just a bit, his voice softened as he spoke. “I remember telling my mom that I’ll protect her from the bad guys but when Akashi’s men came in…” His hands gripped the sheet of the bed. “They shot her down before I could do anything. It was already too late. I should’ve become stronger for her but I failed… Fuck, the world’s shit.” He hid his face in his arms.

Kuroko didn’t know what to say, sorrow consumed his throbbing chest. The world was cruel to Aomine, if only he could give him the happiness he deserves. Kuroko sat closer to him and tentatively reached out to rub Aomine’s back in slow, soothing circles. It’ll be alright, he wanted to say, you’ll be fine.

“Tetsu…” He sighed tiredly as he leaned his head on Kuroko’s shoulder. 

“Yeah?”

“Sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.”

Silence.

“Hey?” He raised his head.

“Hm?” 

“I’ll stay, is that okay?”

“Of course it is.” Kuroko poked him on the nose. His light laughter turned into smaller sobs. He really couldn’t believe it. He was really staying. 

Aomine groaned with disgust. “Stop crying! Damn it, you’re like a piglet!” 

“Piglet?” He sniffled as he wiped his eyes with his sleeves. The ache in his chest started to fade. “Aomine-kun is funny.”

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever…”

Kuroko held back a snicker. “Oh, do you want to eat? I bought food for dinner.”

“Not hungry.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll eat it tomorrow, okay?” 

“Really? Not going to leave?” Kuroko playfully added.

“Duh. Told you I’m staying now shut up and let me sleep.” He said without malice. He flicked Kuroko’s nose and got a pout in response. He jumped until he settled himself comfortably on the bed. 

Once he was settled, Kuroko thought it would be best to leave quietly but the deep voice rang through his ears.

“Stay.” It wasn’t a command.

Kuroko complied with ease and sat at the edge of the bed. “Good-" Aomine pulled his entire body by the arm and settled right next to him. He wrapped Kuroko with his entire frame as if he was afraid that he'll leave him. There was a sense of security Kuroko felt and he welcomed it. Aomine rested his chin on top of his head and whispered a good night.

“Good night, Aomine-kun.” He shut his eyes and never left his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh, mommy feels like no tomorrow, I just feel like Aomine is starved for comfort so stuff like this happens, just being close to someone he can trust helps a lot. At least they established some form of friendship and hopefully I can successfully bring them together romantically in the near future (lol). I don’t know what I was thinking when I wrote this chapter but it just happened. 
> 
> Enjoy and stay tuned for the next!
> 
> Comments, suggestions, and criticisms are welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

_Kuroko complied with ease and sat at the edge of the bed. “Good-" Aomine pulled his entire body by the arm and settled right next to him. He wrapped Kuroko with his entire frame as if he was afraid that he'll leave him. There was a sense of security Kuroko felt and he welcomed it. Aomine rested his chin on top of his head and whispered a good night._

_“Good night, Aomine-kun.” He shut his eyes and never left his side._  
\--

It wasn’t long before Kise and Kasamatsu exited the woods and were surrounded by the wide plains of green. The sun welcomed them with its warm rays while the wind brushed against their faces. The blades of grass moved like waves of the ocean and the sky of clouds floated by like ships.

“Finally!” Kise hooted and ran not too far from Kasamatsu as he fell to the ground. He laid back against the grass and sighed with relief, eyeing the sky above him. He took a deep breath in as the fresh air filled his nostrils. “This is nice. And look over there,” Kise pointed at that one large cloud. “It looks like a bird!”

Kasamatsu ran up to him and rolled his eyes at the relaxed man. He placed one hand on his hip and said. “We don’t have time for this, Kise.”

“But Kasumatsucchi! Look how amazing this place is!” Kise exclaimed as he rolled over in the grass, not minding the small stains he got on himself. 

“Yes, it’s nice and all but we’re wasting time as it is.” He said irritably. 

Kise pouted. “Aww, but it’s not like we’re far away from Aominecchi so it’s okay! Come on,” He pulled Kasamatsu down until he was on the same level as him. “See? Isn’t this lovely? You rarely get to see a place like this. Ah, I think that cloud has your face, though it’s a bit grumpy.”

Kasamatsu surveyed his surroundings, seeing how colorful it was compared to the arena. He was used seeing the color red all the time and silently agreed that this place was indeed a wonder. Kasamatsu shifted his head to Kise, seeing how his smile belonged to this place, how his bright eyes widened at every small thing. His complexion matched the environment too well. He even stared at that one cloud and absolutely declined the thought of it looking like him.

“Oh! Hold on a second, senpai.” Kise turned over, his back towards Kasamatsu. He grabbed a bunch of baby blue eyes growing around and fiddled with them. It didn’t take long for him to finish so once it was done, he faced him with excitement. 

“Close your eyes.”

“Why? Aren’t we done here?” But Kise refused and begged once more. Both his hands were clasped together and shook with eagerness.

“Fine,” Kasamatsu sighed with his patience at low. “Just this and we leave. No more hanging around.”

Kise’s ears perked up. “Hold out your hand.”

Kasamatsu extended his right hand and waited. Kise placed his handmade flower ring on his index finger and giggled how it fitted just right. A bunch of blue were strung together and Kasamatsu stared at it in awe. 

“My sisters taught me a long time ago. I’m glad I still remembered it. They would’ve scolded me if I forgot something like this…” Kise scratched the back of his head and laughed slightly.

“Kise,” Kasamatsu quietly said. He reached and touched the side of Kise’s cheek, his thumb wiping a speck of dirt off. 

The blond man held the hand on his cheek into his own and kissed it. “We should go.” He got up and stretched his arms. “As you said, can’t be hanging around for long.”

Kasamatsu said his name once again, a troubling look on his face as he got up. He wanted to say something but the uncertainty in his gut stopped him.

Kise looked at him with a grin. “I know, senpai. I understand.” He pulled Kasamatsu closer to him and tilted his chin up to place a chaste kiss on his lips. His tongue teased the entrance of his mouth and slipped inside while Kasamatsu stood there stunned. After Kise had a taste of his owner, he pulled back and licked his own lips. He gave him a wink and went to follow Aomine’s scent. 

“Goddamit, Kise…” Kasamatsu muttered as he wiped his mouth with his arm. “Thinks he can do whatever he wants.” His eyes shifted to the flower ring on, a finger touched the soft petals with care. 

“Hurry Kasamatsucchi!” Kise called out from afar and Kasamatsu uttered something about Kise’s personality being everywhere before catching up to him. 

They walked through the flat plains and soon the ground turned uphill. They treaded their way to the top and saw a small, white house right in front of them. 

“Oh, well looks like we found him.” Kise lifted his hand to his forehead to block the sun from his face. “Let’s say hello!” He was about to bolt but a hand immediately shot out and grabbed Kise by the back of his collar.

“Damn it, Kise! At least have a plan, he’ll kill you without a second thought if you screw it up.” Kasamatsu gritted his teeth together and pulled him back to the ground.

Kasamatsu added. “There’s a high probability that someone is in the house with him. You bring Aomine out and distract him while I check inside. Don’t kill him, you got that? Knock him out if you have to.” 

"Roger! But what if he ends up killing me, what will you do?" Kise faked a painful face and touched his chest in a mocking manner.

"Are you asking for early retirement? Your orders are not to die and you're going to follow it."

"Aww, I'm just playing. You know I wouldn't leave you. Who'll take care of you once I'm gone?"

"Dumbass, just go already!" Kasamatsu pushed him forward with force.

~*~

Aomine took his time to open his eyes. They soon adjusted to the bright room but he snuggled back into the pillow, not wanting to get up. He noticed a small body clung to him and looked down to see Kuroko sleeping peacefully on his chest. Memories of last night flooded his mind and that was when he understood that this man in his arms was someone he wanted to protect.

His ears twitched and he looked out the opened window. He saw a speck of yellow coming closer and that was when he went on full alert. He shook Kuroko, trying to get him to wake up. 

“Hey Tetsu! Come on, you gotta go.”

Kuroko mumbled and opened his eyes to a worried face of Aomine. “Wh-what’s going on?” The look on Aomine’s face made him nervous.

“You have to hide, someone is coming for me. And I don’t want you get involved in this.”

“Who is this? Maybe I can help-” Kuroko tried to look out the window, maybe he could see who was this person but Aomine forcefully kept him away from the window.

He placed his hands on Kuroko’s shoulder. “No. It’s best if you get somewhere safe. He’s a shifter, they sent him to deal with me it seems.”

“Oh,” Kuroko frowned, he had a bad feeling about this. “Did he-”

“Yeah, he’s like me though I’m the better fighter.” Aomine replied. He messed with Kuroko’s bed hair with a confident smirk. “I’ll go kick his ass where it belongs, it’ll be quick so don’t worry. Just don’t leave the house, alright?” He gave him a tight squeeze before leaving the room.

Kuroko watched him go, he wanted to help Aomine but what can he do? He didn’t have any fighting skills and even if he did, he was no match against shifters. He’ll be dead in a second!

He had to make sure Aomine was fine so he watched from the window. He only lifted his head up a tiny bit, enough to make out the two figures but not easily seen. 

Aomine barged out of the house and walked toward Kise who was coming down a hill with a wide smile. 

“Aominecchi!” Kise waved his arms in the air. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? Didn’t think you’d settle down so soon. Tracking you was terribly boring!” His entire personality made Aomine irritated.

“Figured they send someone like you to do the dirty deed.” Aomine said and stood in front of Kise. 

“Oh no, I’m not here to kill you. I have orders to bring you back alive. So,” He flicked a speck of dirt off his shoulder, “would you come quietly? Save us the trouble really.”

Aomine laughed in the air and denied his request. “You must be out of your fucking mind. Why don’t you be a good dog and run back to your master? Or I’ll kill you where you stand.” He stared at Kise darkly. His hands turned to sharp claws while his eyes glowed fierce, reading to strike at the blond any time. His ears appeared and angrily pointed downwards.

“I’ll give you one last chance, Aominecchi. Come home to us, where your family is. Don’t abandon us...” He voice suddenly quivered to a whisper. 

“Sorry, Kise. That place was never my home. We were a proud race once and look where we are now, serving humans and killing each other for their own entertainment. It’s a slaughterhouse. I don’t know what your master been feeding you but we’re just means to an end. Once you’re dead, he’ll find another to replace you. I’ve made my decision, it’s time to make yours.” Aomine said firmly. He bent his knees low and kept his arms up in front of him in a defensive position.

“If you really want me to come back, you’re gonna have to do it the hard way.”

“You don’t understand our relationship.” Kise’s body started to turn. His hands turned to claws like Aomine’s, even his eyes and ears shifted to match his. “Kasumatsucchi means a lot to me and he feels the same so don’t presume you know anything about us!” 

He charged toward Aomine, baring his fangs while his claws ready to strike.

“Copy all you want but the only one who can beat me is me!” Aomine roared as he sprinted toward him. 

The two clashed, Aomine nearly dodged a right hook coming at him. He feinted to the right then left, and sent a flying kick to Kise’s side but he managed to block it with his arm. Kise immediately grabbed his leg, his claws digging deep into the skin, and pulled Aomine forward before sending a quick punch to the face.

“Hah… nice one.” Aomine grinned as he felt the numbing pain where it landed. 

“Aominecchi shouldn’t underestimate me.” Kise jumped in the air and landed a downward kick but Aomine side-stepped and used his chains, wrapping them around his opponent’s neck. Kise struggled in his hold but the chains became tighter. It wasn’t going to end like this. With his quick thinking, he turned into a crow and flew up. His repeated caws cried out in victory and transformed right back into his human form once he landed behind him. His clothes mostly ripped as Aomine can clearly see the wide spread of black feathers from his arms. 

“You annoying fucker.” If Aomine could take his chains off, he would’ve ended this fight with haste. 

As the fight resumed, Kasamatsu managed to walk around the house without a problem and went through the backdoor. He broke the screen door with his gun and walked inside. He held his gun close to him and looked around, finding the place quiet so he carefully explored the main floor, the gun pointed at every corner and room. Once cleared, he walked upstairs to find a few closed doors. He opened them but came up empty and spotted a room wide open at the end of the hallway.

~*~

Kuroko watched the two fought each other and prayed for Aomine’s safety. He also found that mysterious man interesting, seeing how he was able to shift into different animals. A sudden sound broke out of his thoughts and believed it came from downstairs. There was someone else with the blond man? He looked for a place to hide and quickly slid under his bed. He tried to keep his breathing steady as he heard footsteps coming closer. He covered his mouth with his hand and waited.

He saw black shoes coming in and waited. He could hear his own heart beating loudly against his chest. He repeatedly hope this stranger will go away soon. The footsteps moved step by step, walking toward small corners and possible hidings such as his closet. 

It felt like eternity for Kuroko and when the footsteps met in front of the bed, he stopped breathing. It felt he wasn’t going to make it out alive but he mentally sighed with relief once the footsteps disappeared and out the door.

He waited for a few minutes before getting out. He had to warn Aomine about the other person in the house. He tiptoed out the room but a gun was pointed directly at his head. Kuroko paused and stared at the short, spiky haired man with sharp steel blue eyes looking straight at him.

“You’re going to be quiet and do as I say, got it?”

Kuroko gulped and nodded his head.

“Good, now move. Any sudden movements and I’ll shoot you.” He cocked his gun and Kuroko swallowed with a nod. 

He went downstairs while Kasamatsu followed right behind him, the gun still pointed at his head. He was told to get out and they walked closer to where the two shifters fought.

“Hey!” Kasamatsu cried out. The two stopped and looked. Both of them stained with blood, their shirts completely dirty and torn. Their breathing was haggard but none of them looked like they were ready to give up just yet.

Aomine’s face fallen to a shock and it was more than enough to get him fired up once more. “Let him go.”

“Aomine-kun…” Kuroko whispered and cringed to the feel of the gun barrel to his head.

“What’s he to you? You don’t take interest in us humans, right? What makes him any different?” 

Aomine gave no reply back, only to watch with careful eyes on Kasamatsu’s finger on the trigger, ready to shoot while Kuroko stood there in fear, his legs felt they couldn’t barely hold him up. 

“I’ll let him go if you agree to come with us. You don’t have to make it worse than it already is.” 

“Don’t do it!” Kuroko let out. 

“Oi, be quiet!” Kasamatsu pressed the gun harder to his head. 

“I’ll go.” Aomine finally said. He readied stance became calm and stood there, waiting for Kasamatsu to put down his gun.

There wasn’t anything Kuroko could do but he had to try something. Even though he had no fighting skills, he can still make a difference.

What surprised everyone was the sudden movement from Kuroko. He turned around and grabbed Kasamatsu’s gun, trying to release it from his grip. 

“The hell?!” Kasamatsu frustratingly fought a tug-of-war with him. What he didn’t know at the last moment, Aomine came forward behind Kuroko with his fangs bare. Aomine clamped his mouth on Kasamatsu’s wrist and with great strength, he pulled both of them down. Kasamatsu released his hold on the gun as the blood started pouring from his wrist. Kuroko fell on his back and eyes widely opened, he reached for the gun before there was any chance of recovering it.

“Get off me!” Kasamatsu cried out in pain. His free hand started punching Aomine in the face but the hold on his wrist refused to let go. Aomine grunted with each hit but he retaliated by biting harder. “FUCK!” His hand stopped attacking as his body twitched, desperately wanting to be free. 

Kise was a few seconds caught off guard as he watched Kuroko’s attempt to stop Kasamatsu and soon bolted once he saw Aomine racing toward them. Kise frantically called out Kasamatsu’s name and what was even more surprising when he saw Kuroko holding a gun at him. 

He never used a gun before, let alone shoot a person with it. Kuroko’s hands jittered as he held it. There wasn’t a point to shoot him, he didn’t want to hurt anymore. He just wanted to end.

“Hey there, there’s no need for that.” Kise let out a nervous laugh as he held both his hands up with good intentions. “Put that down or you’ll hurt someone.”

“Enough…” Kuroko said. “Leave us alone, he’s not coming back with you.” The gun wavered every moment.

“Look, we got orders. We’re not coming back empty handed so please?” Kise walked over slowly until a shot fired at him, missing his face. “Shit!”

“Kise!” Kasamatsu remained helpless and howled in pain as he felt the fangs digging into his skin.

He didn’t mean to fire at him, it just happened so sudden. He had to keep this man back, he was dangerous. He wanted to be strong for Aomine’s sake. “I-I can’t.”

Aomine let out and released Kasamatsu’s wrist and grabbed his neck, adding small pressure to his throat. “Tetsu…” He lifted Kasamatsu from the ground and walked over. The man struggled with one hand as he tried clawing the tanned arm but Aomine ignored it.

“Put the gun down.” He said softly to Kuroko. 

The shorter man looked up with scared eyes and stared at Kasamatsu. “But-”

“It’s okay,” He tightened his hold a little more. Kasamatsu gasped, his mouth like a gaping fish as he tried to regain some air into his lungs. “Put the gun down.”

His patient words felt soothing so he obeyed and dropped the gun. A sense of relief washed over him, he didn’t have to do it anymore but he had shot at Kise and that terrified him. The immediate fire, the instant sound of the bullet leaving the barrel, he hated it. He looked at Aomine who gave him a nod and glared at the blond male.

“Here’s the thing, you take your sorry ass back to that hell hole and he comes out alive. If not, then I’ll snuff the life out of him.”

“Kise, just forget about me…” Kasamatsu muttered every single word painfully. His wrist needed medical attention and the loss of blood was not a good sign.

“Senpai…” Kise took a step forward but halted as he saw Aomine’s hard stare.

“Aomine-kun!” 

“Huh-Shit!” Aomine moved to the side as he dodged the second gun aimed at him. The shot missed as Aomine flipped Kasamatsu over until his face met the ground and instantly pulled his free arm behind his back until there was a loud crack. Kasamatsu painfully cried out and clenched his teeth together. His breathing heavy as his body laid on the ground like a broken toy.

“Shouldn’t have done that.”

“You bastard!” Kise shot passed Kuroko and slammed his entire body at Aomine. He immediately hit the ground as the enraged shifter pummeled him. His punches landed on either side of his face but Aomine managed to block one hand and tried to twist it around. Kise yelped as he struggled to stop him.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” His entire body immediately transformed into a lion, before Aomine could back away, he clamped Aomine’s neck until it was between his set of teeth. His large body weighed Aomine down, making it difficult to escape. Aomine spouted loud cusses and attempted to pry the lion’s mouth open but he was overpowered.

“Don’t!” Kuroko ran up and was crazy enough to wrap his small arms around the lion’s body. He could see the fangs about to pierce Aomine’s neck and he struggled with his entire strength to pull the lion away. One move, he knew, would instantly kill him. “Please don’t,” Kuroko looked at Kise in the eye full of pain. “I know you’re angry, he hurt your friend, I would be really mad too…”

Kuroko gripped the lion’s mane as he thought of what to say next. “But forget about fighting, put your differences aside. Let me help you, I know a doctor, he can heal your friend’s condition.” He stroked Kise’s body, trying to calm him down and Kise watched him, the loud growling eventually turned into a soft, painful whimper. Minutes later, he released his hold on Aomine and his lion traits started to disappear and he was fully back to his human form.

“Who are you?” Kise looked at him in awe.

“Kuroko Tetsuya,” He bent his head, “And you?”

“Ryouta Kise! Nice to meet you, Kurokocchi!” Kise cried with happiness as if he regained all his energy, and hugged the life out of Kuroko. His hugs were definitely tight and he gave him a small pat on the back. It all soon disappeared as Kise immediately bolted to his fallen partner. “Kasamatsucchi!”

“Damn, that was a close one.” Aomine sat up and rubbed his neck. Kuroko saw the little teeth marks and touched his neck, observing every single one. He was fine, he reassured himself. He noticed the new bruises on him, just when Aomine’s injuries were healing well too.

“You look terrible.” He gave a slight smile, needing to feel that they are okay, that he was okay. 

“You just noticed?”

“Hmm…” Kuroko inspected his face further. His hand moved up and gently touched the swollen areas where Aomine got punched many times. He’ll need an ice pack to lessen the pain and clean the scratch marks. Today was going to be another long day.

“You’re out of your mind.” Aomine grabbed his hand, definitely troubled by his actions. “They’ll kill you when you immediately drop your guard.”

“But Aomine-kun will protect me, won’t he?” Kuroko gripped his hand harder. If he wasn’t able to change their minds, he would have to find another way. 

“Hah…” Aomine’s eyes looked the other way and Kuroko took that as a ‘yes’. 

“They don’t have to go back, they can stay here or…” This was going to be a crazy thing to say but… “We can find them a new home? Maybe find an apartment in town.” 

“Holy fuck, you lost it.” Aomine rubbed his temples. “Going so far for them after what they’ve done? It’s a terrible idea.”

“I’m merely suggesting. I don’t want us to fight. And maybe they’ll understand that this is something for them to start anew.” He wanted to be optimistic, maybe it was seeing something in Kise before. He saw the protectiveness in his eyes and maybe, that was enough to help them.

Aomine was flabbergasted and his face pretty much thought he was crazy, he even dipped his head into his hand, voicing his own frustration that nothing was going to end well and his so thought idea was going to be his downfall. Kuroko curled is lips together and he knew he was stupid for even thinking about it but what other choice did they have?

“They work for Akashi. Don’t you get it?”

“People can change.” Just like Aomine. 

Aomine refused to speak and turned, his back to Kuroko. “Fuckin’ hell, you better not regret this, Tetsu.”

They both walked over to the two, Kise sat on the ground with Kasamatsu’s head on his lap, trying to comfort him as Kasamatsu’s painful moans left his mouth. There was a poorly wrapped cloth around the injured wrist and he was going to need a cast to heal that broken arm.

“Kise-kun, why don’t you bring him inside and I’ll help you two settle down. I’ll call the doctor immediately. Also, since you’re staying in my home, I expect none of you to start a fight in the house.” Kuroko looked at the two shifters seriously.

Both glanced at each other and didn’t say one word but Kise nodded at Kuroko, while Aomine gave a huff of annoyance. Kuroko rolled his eyes because he knew Aomine didn’t want to be in the same house as Kise but he took it as an agreement which he was quite thankful for. 

“Just bear with me.” Kise carried Kasamatsu in his arms, carefully not to move his broken arm as they went to the house. He repeatedly apologized when he heard the shorter man holding back from crying out in pain. Kuroko felt terrible and looked at Aomine with a frown, though quietly accusing him that he didn’t have to go that far. He definitely spotted guilt on the taller man’s face and pushed him forward to their home.

Now he hoped he can convince these newcomers that they can build a new life without this Akashi person to rule over them but deep down, he had a terrible feeling this was not the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, the next updated chapter and I apologize greatly for any minor details missing from this because yeah, I re-read this many times and felt I could address this and that but maybe the readers will be okay with it and I don't want to be overly detailed?? And I never written fight scenes so had to do a little research on that and hoped Kuroko's decision isn't entirely a bad one. Hmm, I shouldn't think so hard about this and leave it up to you guys.
> 
> Stay tune on the next update! And I made a tumblr blog for my fic (heartlessblu), you can pretty much track my status updates there and stop by and say hi!


	8. Chapter 8

Once inside the house, Kuroko pointed at the free space on the couch that Kasamatsu can rest on. He also mentioned the kitchen was down the hallway so he and Kise were welcome to anything. Kasamatsu laid on the couch, his eyes fluttered, a bit tired and in terrible pain. 

“I’ll go get the first aid kit. Aomine-kun, can you get a ruler for me? It’s in the drawer over there.” Kuroko pointed where he stood before looking at the sad, blond man. “Kise-kun, I’m going to need some towels from the kitchen and there’s an ice pack in the freezer.” Kuroko pointed to the freezer before heading upstairs to the bathroom. He grabbed the kit and came back down.

He settled next to Kasamatsu and grabbed the bandage wraps. Aomine handed him the ruler and Kise dumped the pile of towels and ice pack next to him. He thanked them both and gave Aomine the ice pack for his face. “It will help with the swelling.”

Aomine placed it on his face and sighed with relief. “Thanks, Tetsu.” Kuroko responded with a smile.

“I’ll make a temporary split.” He said to Kasamatsu “I have to immobilize your arm and let it rest.” He carefully handled the arm as gentle as he could but he watched as Kasamatsu’s pain filled expressions appeared on his face even at the slightest movement of his arm. “Sorry.” He saw how he was barely managing to hold in the pain.

“Senpai can handle anything.” Kise nodded proudly and got quite a frightening glare from Kasamatsu.

Once he finished making the splint and taken care of the damaged wrist with proper bandaging, Kuroko told them to wait and he’ll go call a doctor. He hoped he was able to stop by today. He went to grab his cellphone and dialed the number. He waited for several rings until he heard someone picked up.

“Taiga’s Clinic, how may I help you?”

“Kagami-kun?”

“Eh, is that you Kuroko? It’s been a while.”

“It has, how are you?”

“Pretty good, busy as ever. A lot of patients to take care of, y’know? So what’s up? You okay?”

“I’m well, thank you. Are you able to stop by here today? I need your help.”

There was a small pause before he got an answer. “Yeah I definitely can. What happened?” 

“Yo, Tetsu! You can’t let a human here!” Aomine rattled his chains and poked at Kise’s choker, to which the latter responded to by smacking the other’s hand away.

“Aww Aominecchi doesn’t want to show the human that he likes being chained.” The blond giggled. “I think it’s sexy.”

“Kise, shut up!” 

Aomine was right about that though. How would he explain to Kagami about their situations? He couldn’t bring him into their world. It wouldn’t end well, but he needed his help. Maybe he’ll promise that he won’t say anything, doctor’s orders and all. 

“What’s going on, Kuroko?”

Kuroko stared at the three and shook his head side to side disapprovingly. He turned to leave, and heard Aomine angrily calling Kise an asshole while Kasamatsu called them both idiots. He walked into the hallway to get away from the unnecessary noise. He apologized and explained to Kagami about the man with a broken arm who probably needed a cast, and the few others who he should take a look at as well, hoping that they’re not in any serious condition. He also added that they are ‘friends’ in a sense, but it was a little complicated, and that it was best for Kagami to talk to him in person.

He could hear the concern in Kagami’s voice. “Give me time to gather supplies and I’ll be there as soon as possible. Just be careful, okay? If anything happens…”

“Everything will be fine, I promise.” They said their goodbyes and hung up. With the doctor soon on the way, Kuroko went back to the living room and found Aomine and Kise fighting but it was more Kise doing so. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was, considering how they promised him that they wouldn’t make trouble.

“You two, please get out of my house. Stay on the porch if you must.” If they were going to act like children, then he’ll treat them like children.

“What, it’s his fault!”

“Kurokocchi!”

Both shifters cried out at the same time, and Kise most of all looked he was going to shed tears as if he was rejected horribly.

“You behave like children, and if you’re going to continue to do so, you’re not setting a foot in this house until you two decide to get along.” He pointed at the front door and waited. If he was going to deal with these two for a while, then he had to set an example for them.

On the couch, Kasamatsu snickered. “I think I’m liking you already, Kuroko.”

“Senpai is cheating on me!” Kise gasped and dramatically fell to the ground. Kasamatsu groaned in response, and Kuroko wanted to face palm. He took a big breath in and walked right next to them, dragging them to the door by the collars of their shirt. He didn’t need to deal with this now. 

“Wah! But Kurokocchi, this is too cruel!”

“Oi! Wait a second, Tetsu!”

When they were out the door, both shifters sat on the porch, sulking and looking pissed. Aomine and Kise had an intense staring contest, and Kuroko told them once more to reach a middle ground and that when they do, they’ll be able to stay in his house. Kuroko shut the door behind them and went back to sit near Kasamatsu.

“Kise-kun is quite the character.”

“Try dealing with him every day and you’ll understand.” 

“How did you and Kise-kun meet?”

“That interested?” Kasamatsu raised eyebrow.

“Only a little bit, if you would like to share of course but I should let you rest, the doctor will be here soon.”

“It’s fine. Think of it as a thanks for your hard work.” Kasamatsu struggled to sit up, but Kuroko wouldn’t have it and told him stay put. He fluffed a pillow and placed it behind. At least Kasamatsu looked a little better with it, he thought.

“Thanks. I’m the captain of the recon team for Kaijou, and one day, the upper management decided to give us shifters to help with the missions. And let me tell you, he hasn’t changed one bit from the start of day one.” His eye twitched and Kuroko could imagine it quite well.

“I wanted to change partners. I even sent a request, but the response I got was that Kise was best suited for a guy like me. Didn’t bother to argue further, what’s done is done. Kise has a large amount of energy that is endless, and he’s always smiling. He’s a strange one, but you know, he’s good at what he does; he’s efficient in his work and doesn’t let me or the team down. He always did his best.”

Kuroko could see how much this man respected the dog shifter. “Kise-kun sounds amazing.”

“Perhaps.”

“Do you like him?” 

Kasamatsu’s face turned a hint of red, and stared at the little blue ring on his finger with a curl of his lips. “…Maybe, but you know a relationship with them is looked down upon. They hate us humans and yet there are some who don’t. It’s a complicated matter, but my boss doesn’t care much, just as long we keep them in place. But shifters come and go, so what’s the point? There might be a time when I can’t protect Kise.”

“Kise-kun is alive. He’s here with you now, and that’s what matters. Wouldn’t it be best to stay away from that place and…” He paused for a second. “Go somewhere where you two can be alone? Travel the world?”

“Ah,” Kasamatsu chucked. “Kise mentioned several times of wanting to see the world. He even joked about taking my boss’s plane and fly far away.” Kuroko heard him mutter something about how Kise had never even flown one before. “It would be nice but who knows how far we’ll get. Well, enough about me. Why don’t you tell me how you and Aomine met?” His eyes shown great interest. “I’ve never seen him so tamed around a human.”

“Oh, well…” Kuroko explained how he found him in his kitchen yesterday night and offered to help him. It took a bit of patience to get him to understand that he wasn’t trying to hurt him. Though there were times when he thought the navy-blue haired shifter was going to kill him, but he didn’t, and also stated the part when he ran away which was a pleasant event to go through. 

“Sounds like you had a fun time. Now let me ask you this, do you like him?” 

“Ah, Aomine-kun isn’t a terrible person and not difficult to deal with, though he gets angry at times. He has a big appetite too and really strong…” But he stopped as he saw Kasamatsu giving him that ‘really’ look.

“Yes?”

“I’ll be blunt and say this. You should tell him how you really feel, the whole heart beating so fast and makes your knees go weak sort of thing.” 

Kuroko didn’t know what to say. Tell him how he felt about him? No, he didn’t like Aomine-kun like that, they just met too. Sure, he liked him because he wasn’t a bad person, and he does have a gentle side but nothing more, right?

He broke out of his thoughts as he heard Kasamatsu sighing, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Give me some water?” Kuroko didn’t mind at the sudden change in conversation and nodded. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water while giving what the captain had said some more thought. That one memory came back to him, the one where he shared the same bed with Aomine. He felt contented and secure, he can admit to that. It was enjoyable, but Kuroko quickly erased all thoughts and calmed down. He came back with water and helped him sip the water carefully.

“Much better. Look Kuroko, it may not matter now, maybe along the road, you’ll see it. Trust me on that.”

~*~

“This is all your fault, Aominecchi, you made Kurokocchi mad…” Kise sat on the porch with his arms crossed over his chest. A pout was quite clear on his face.

“You trying to start a fight, blondie?” Aomine stood in front of him with his claws ready to strike.

And after five minutes of trying to add more scratches on their bodies, they quieted down. Both had their backs on the wall and were taking a breather. 

Kise wiped the trail of blood from his arm. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

“You already did.” Aomine replied.

“Hah, very funny. So tell me.” Kise leaned closer to him, his mouth just an inch away from his ear. “Are you and Kurokocchi fucking?”

“Oi!” Aomine lifted Kise up and shook him hard, pinning him to the wall. “The hell you asking that question for?! If you need to release some sexual frustration, then go to your human toy in there!”

~*~

Kuroko tilted his head at the sound of a thump and some faint voices. “Did you hear that?

“Probably those two trying to get along, don’t worry about it.” Kasamatsu answered.

~*~

Kise massaged the stinging pain in the back of his head. “I didn’t mean it like that. Look,” He grabbed Aomine’s wrist. “You can’t lie to me, I know. Not the fucking part!” He quickly added after seeing that killer glare. “But there’s something and maybe it’s not apparent now, but I think he would be good for you.”

“And how would you know?”

“You’re still here. The Aominecchi I know would’ve kept running, never stopping for a human. You’re a killer and you despise humans for what they’ve done. Me? I was already in love from the very start.”

“I’m going to fucking vomit.” He snarled and released Kise, letting him fall back to the ground. “And to answer your stupid question, I don’t…”

“H-hey! I can see it in your eyes!”

“Excuse me?” A sudden voice disturbed the two.

Aomine and Kise both looked the tall, red haired-man. He wore a long white coat with a white shirt underneath, and jeans, while carrying a few cases of what they assumed were medical supplies

“And who the fuck are you?”

“Wait, Aominecchi!” Aomine walked up the doctor, trying to size the man up. 

“I’m Doctor Kagami Taiga. Kuroko sent me.” Kagami said as he looked back at Aomine without a hint of fear, though the chains around the man’s wrists puzzled him greatly.

Aomine eyeballed him up and down, clearly not liking this man already. He walked around him, even took a sniff.

“What the hell?!” Kagami backed away from him. “You do that to everyone you see?”

Aomine hissed as the smell vexed his nose. “You reek. Even this mutt,” A finger pointed at Kise. “Smells better than you.”

Kise was not amused.

“You’re not any better.” Kagami gestured at the state Aomine was in, dried blood and smudges of dirt all over.

“Tch. The hell is with your eyebrows then? Had a bad shave or what?” He was about to pluck them, but Kagami battered his hand away.

“Hey asshole, wanna not be a dick and let me inside?” While that happened, Kise ran inside the house to inform Kuroko on what was happening.

“Can’t do that.” Aomine sneered and grabbed the doctor’s shirt. “You should just stay away.”

“What the hell is with you? You escaped from asylum lately? Forget it, I don’t have time to deal with you. I have to see Kuroko.” Kagami shoved Aomine back and walked passed him. Though he didn’t get far when a hand slapped his chest.

“You’re not going in.”

“Look, shit for brains. I don’t have time to deal with you. Kuroko called me-”

“Kagami-kun! You made it.” Kuroko heaved a sigh as he walked over. He was deeply worried after hearing what Kise had to say and rushed to their side. “Is… everything okay?” He eyed the two and saw how tensed Aomine was.

Kagami moved away and stood in front of Kuroko with an awkward smile. “Yeah, everything is fine. Sorry I’m late, had to grab these.” He motioned to his suitcases. “You mentioned someone with a broken arm?” 

“Ah, yes. Kasamatsu-san is the one, he’s in the living room with Kise-kun. You can go ahead, I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Got it.” Kagami replied. He gave Aomine one more frown before heading inside, his cases in hand.

“Sheesh… wonder what’s with him.” He idly combed through his dark blue hair.

“Aomine-kun, what’s wrong?” Kuroko remembered Kise frantically telling him how Aomine was trying to start a fight.

“Nothing.” A quick reply but he wasn’t going to let Aomine off that easily.

“You can tell me anything.” Kuroko tried to sound encouraging.

“I told you it’s nothing.” He kicked a small pebble away. 

“Come here.” He wrapped his hand in Aomine’s and led him to the large tree right next to the house. He let go and sat right down, resting his back against the bark. It was nice to be able to get away from the sun, the tree offered a huge shade for them to relax under. “Sit with me.”

Aomine studied his hand where Kuroko’s hand was and slowly complied. 

“Did you know my grandmother built this tree?” He started. Perhaps Aomine would be interested in such a story but the look on his face was unreadable. He saw how he was being observant, the tree with its wide branches extending up and around with its leaves a healthy green.

“Took her quite a long time too, she started when she was just a little girl. She put a lot of time and love into it,” He touched the bark and gave it a pat. “She once told me she sang to it when it wasn’t doing so well, she thought it might like something inspiring in its life. I guess it worked though. Every day she watched it grow and it became a place for her to speak her mind. She probably told a lot of stories to it, if only trees can talk back though.” He looked at Aomine, hoping to see a reaction but he didn’t respond. 

He guessed it can’t be helped, he wasn’t going to force him to speak. “We should get back and check on them, I’m worried about Kasamatsu-san.” Kuroko leaned forward and was about to get up but Aomine tugged on his arm.

“Who is Kagami to you?” Aomine asked hesitantly. The sudden question surprised Kuroko and felt the grip on his arm stopping him. He settled back down, and the hand was still there but with a lighter hold.

“Kagami-kun is a close friend of mine. We’ve known each other since we were kids. We attended the same schools throughout the years and parted ways when we decided on our career paths. Kagami studied to be a doctor and I wanted to be a teacher.”

“That’s all?” Kuroko felt he was expecting more from him but to be honest, that was it. They were best of friends growing up and even when they went their different ways, they still kept in contact once in a while.

“Yeah, that’s all. Why?” Kuroko was mostly perplexed by this question, there was something else that he wasn’t telling him. “Did he say something to you?” 

“I don’t like doctors. That guy especially… he doesn’t feel right.” He stared down, avoiding Kuroko’s gaze.

So that explained it. The paler of the two shifted until he was in front of other, hands settled on both sides of Aomine’s face. He wanted him to understand fully. “He’s different,” He said firmly as he gazed into those deep blue eyes. “He’s not him. He’ll never be him. Kagami-kun has good intentions, and he loves helping others. His patients speak highly of him, and I trust him entirely. Believe me when I say that.”

Aomine grabbed both his hands and nestled them close to his chest. “I want to...” He muttered so quietly that Kuroko almost missed it. The warmth of Aomine’s chest was pleasant, but this moment felt different. He wasn’t sure how to describe it but seeing him like this gave him a nervous feeling in his stomach. 

“But he stays away, I can’t…”

“He needs to check your injuries.”

“You can do it, Tetsu.” Aomine’s hands stroked Kuroko’s. He saw the adoration in the taller man’s eyes, and it warmed his heart. 

“I… I only know the basics though.”

“It’s more than enough.”

“I suppose I’ll have to convince Kagami-kun about it then.”

“Heh, I can do that easily.” 

Aomine leaned forward as his unwavering gaze caught Kuroko’s. Kuroko didn’t know what to feel but their faces were inches close. Aomine’s eyes reminded him of the ocean, how easily he could get lost in them. They were beautiful. His heart grew heavy suddenly, this unknown feeling worried him just a little bit. There was something but he couldn’t pinpoint it. He backed away and smiled, his face was hot and yet they’re were under the shade. “We should get going.” 

~*~

“Don’t they look so cute together?” Kise squealed as he watched the two from the window. “They’re practically a couple!”

“Huh? They’re together?” Kagami looked out the window and spotted the two.

“Oh no, not at all! But you never know, things can get a bit steamy between them.” He gave a casual wink. 

“Don’t mind Kise, he can be a bit dramatic at times so it’s best to ignore him.” Kasamatsu stated. He was already sitting up as Kagami carefully took care of the final stitching.

“Wah!” He slumped his head on Kasamatsu’s uninjured shoulder. “Don’t listen to this guy, he’s such a bore. He doesn’t know how to have fun.”

Kasamatsu rolled his eyes and tousled the yellow locks.

“I’ll keep that both in mind.” Kagami said. He made a sling for Kasamatsu and finished wrapping his wrist after adding stitches. He informed Kasamatsu about keeping the sling over for three weeks and the bandage should be changed every night. The stitching should be kept clean and dry. He was lucky his arm wasn’t a bad break and didn’t need a cast. Other than that, Kasamatsu was doing well. With Kise’s situation, Kagami cleaned his wounds while suffering Kise’s wails of the peroxide burning his skin. 

“Stop crying or you won’t get candy.” Kagami padded the cotton ball around his forehead.

“Seriously?” Kise sniffled while grimacing at the stinging feeling.

“No.” A smirk.

Kasamatsu huffed, containing his laugh while Kise frowned the entire time. 

Kagami wiped the sweat off his brow after taking care of the two. At the right time, Aomine and Kuroko came into the room, seeing how Kasamatsu and Kise looked better than before.

“How’re you guys feeling?” asked Kuroko.

“Fine, the break wasn’t too severe so I’ll only need this for three weeks. Wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” Kasamatsu explained. “Kise over here cried like a baby, and his cuts were barely serious.”

Kise shook his head and loudly yelled. “Don’t tell him that!” 

Kuroko let out a small laugh and saw Kagami meeting his eyes. “Thank you, Kagami-kun.”

“Don’t worry about it. Does your friend,” He stared at Aomine, a bit wary of his presence. “Need help?”

“Ah, about that. Let’s talk in the kitchen.” Kuroko left the room with Kagami following behind.

Kise slid next to Aomine and gave him a small nudge on the arm. “So, did you guys kiss?” His eyes gleamed with excitement and Aomine punched him the face with obscene curses following after.

~*~

As the two sat at the kitchen table, Kuroko first explained about Aomine’s history with doctors, how he doesn’t sit well with them, and kept the real reason to the side. He doesn’t like them getting close to him. Kagami understood because he had patients who didn’t like him as well. He didn’t questioned further and allowed Kuroko to continue. He tried to explain everything to him without actually revealing who the newcomers were as well. Both Kise and Kasamatsu were new to town and Kuroko invited them over to his house for food, and Aomine was found in his house drunk and disheveled on the same day, something about his friends playing a cruel joke on him with the chains. He even asked Kagami if he knew anyone who can remove them, a locksmith would be his best guess. Luckily he knew a person who could help. He wrote it on a notepad and it gave Kuroko hope that soon Aomine will be free. Kuroko lastly mentioned how the excessive injuries came to be and it went overboard so Kagami finally got the whole picture.

“I’m really sorry, I know this is quite a shock. All of this happening in a day.” Kuroko poured both of them a glass of water and he took a sip to quench his thirst.

“Yeah, it’s quite the story.” Kagami said slowly as he eyed at the glass in his hand. “How long will they be staying?”

“I suppose for a bit. Until everyone is well.”

“That might be a while then.” Kagami frowned.

“It’s not a problem, I don’t mind. Every day is going to be a little different with them around, that’s all.” As if it hadn’t started already.

Kagami rubbed his neck, his face filled with the constant worried expression. “Kuroko…”

“Kagami-kun, it’s okay. I’ll be fine. It’s not like we’re eight years old and you had to make sure that dog didn’t bite me.”

“You still remember that?”

“And the time you cried when a dog was chasing after you because you took its ball.” He said in a matter of fact. “And the many hiding spots you went to before a dog can even get close to you.” Those were the good days.

“Hey! I wasn’t hiding, I was mostly practicing… my dodging skills.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Kuroko replied. The two laughed, both were having a good time as they reminisce about the past. 

Aomine leaned against the wall of the kitchen entrance, listening to their conversation. 

“Idiot, you keep teasing about that shit and he’s going to do something stupid.” Kasamatsu watched Aomine from the living room. He was tired of staying on the couch and wanted to stretch his legs. Once he saw Aomine moved, he had to make sure he wasn’t going to barge in like a mad man.

“He needs a push, that’s all. Kind of amusing to see him like this though.” Kise let out a dry chuckle and added. “We should leave, y’ know?” 

“We should’ve left a long time ago.” Kasamatsu frowned. He took out his phone and showed Kise the many missed calls. “They know something is up, they’ll send someone to finish the job.”

“They don’t know where we are though.” 

“Tracking, it’s standard procedure to have it on all devices.” Kasamatsu took the battery out of his phone and went to the bathroom. He dumped them in the toilet and flushed them, watching it swirled all the way down.

“Sorry, Kise.” He turned and touched the collar around the shifter’s neck. “We would have to go back and remove this. It can only be opened there.”

“Damn it…” The blond tugged on it but the captain’s hand refrained him from hurting himself. “Would you go back? If this mission was a success?” 

“Unfortunately yes.” Kasamatsu made a sad face. 

Kise uttered a small ‘oh’ and sat on the edge of the bathtub, his face hidden in his hands. His body shuddered with every small sob and Kasamatsu, without delay, held him close. The tears rolled onto his shirt while his hand aided comforting touches. 

“I hate this, I hate everything… it isn’t fair.”

“I know but we’ll get through it. I’ll take you some place far from here, and I’ll even buy you a small plane.”

“R-really?” Kise looked up, his tears still falling. “But I don’t know how to fly one…”

“I’ll teach you.” He wiped his teardrops away and bent low to kiss his forehead. “Just you and me. We’ll go anywhere you like.”

Kise quietly laughed, his shoulders not so much shaking. He wiped the remaining tears using his sleeve. “God, I want to fuck you really badly.”

Kasamatsu eyed his face carefully and he definitely saw how serious his partner was. He really wanted to hit him but it would be too mean of him. “You have to wait three weeks, it would be better if I had two arms to keep you in place.”

“Kasamatsucchi…” He whimpered and pleaded with cute expressions and pouts, but Kasamatsu refused to give in.

“You’re tough to crack as always.” Kise stood up and wrapped one arm around Kasamatsu’s waist. “But I still love you.

“I do as well. And would you stop that.” Kasamatsu felt a sneaky hand under his shirt and grabbed Kise’s nose. 

“Gah!” That stopped him in his tracks. 

“We have to let Kuroko and Aomine know. I bet Akashi already sent someone to finish what we failed to do.”

~*~

“What’s the status?”

“I was able to track Kasamatsu’s cell and it lead to these coordinates here.” Kobori pointed at the large screen, a red dot blinking in the far right corner. “But not too long ago, it moved to this area here.” The red dot shifted to the bottom left corner.

“How peculiar, where was the dot originally?”

“Surveillance says there’s a house there surrounded by a large acre of land.” 

“I see. Did you try contacting the captain?”

“I did but there’s no response.” Kobari pointed at the pathway where the second dot landed. “Now this here leads into a town not too far from the house and it stopped somewhere in there. Should we send out a retrieval team?”

“Send Yosen’s fighter. I must say I am disappointed in your captain. He’s lacking the capability to complete this task, assuming he’s not dead.” Akashi walked until he stood in front of Kobori, his hands behind his back. “Or he has found our target and hasn’t done anything to get him back. If so, he’s incompetent and that partner of his. I heard those two are together?”

“Yes, sir. Is it a problem?”

“Not at all, I only ask to get the job done but words do travel fast. Ryouta speaks of freedom and that itself, is dangerous to be giving these beasts ideas. Tell the team to recover Daiki, the rest will be food. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

Kobari nodded his head. “It’ll be done.” He turned to leave the room. 

Mayuzumi sat up from the couch and took the book off his face.

He yawned and asked. “What’s going on?” 

“Ryouta and Kasamatsu will not be coming back to us.” Akashi clapped his hands together. “It’s unfortunate, I will miss them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another chapter! And thanks to Celeste for helping me go over this, you’re the best and I couldn’t ask for more.
> 
> I want to mention about Kise’s collar, because even though Yukio is captain, Kaijou itself doesn't want to risk any of their men taking the collar off outside of their place because safety reasons hence is why Kise would have to go back to get it off. They don’t want shifters running away is pretty much what it is. The collar can be removable once they go back to the arena because it was programmed that way. Aomine’s shackles are different since it doesn’t have tracking, it’s mostly a suppressor to keep him from shifting into his full form (I hoped that makes sense). 
> 
> Enjoy reading! If you have any questions, comments, etc - feel free to talk to me on my tumblr (heartlessblu)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! Sorry for the late update but it's all good, chapter 9 is here and ready for you guys. Just a quick warning because in the middle of the chapter, there's a NSFW section (hence why I changed the fic rating to M) so be prepared because it's my first time writing something like this. And part of me pretty much gave up and believed that it was considered passable so I'm sorry if it's terrible. I shouldn't even wrote it in the first place, haha! (So embarrassed to be honest...)
> 
> Thank you, my beta Celeste for helping me with this chapter. Always loving you for your handwork!
> 
> Please enjoy! Thanks for the comments, kudos, etc. Feel free to stop by on my Tumblr (heartlessblu) for updates and stuff.

Their conversation came to an end after their light share of stories.

“It’s good to see you again, Kagami-kun. Thank you for everything you’ve done.” Kuroko kindly bowed to him. He was glad to have a friend to call for help, especially one who was a doctor.

Kagami bashfully rubbed his neck with an embarrassed expression. “What are friends for, right? Hah, good thing you called at the right time or I would’ve been away on business.”

“Oh, where are you going?” 

The doctor mentioned he was going to a seminar tomorrow and would be out of town for a week. Kuroko was lucky enough to have caught him before he left.

“Well, I should go.” Kagami checked his watch. “Have to see to other patients. It’s going to be another busy afternoon, and I have to finish packing.”

Kuroko nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you out.” 

Together they walked to the door, and Kuroko caught Aomine eyeing him. He gave a quick smile before turning back. 

“Oh, Kuroko. I left you some extra medical supplies. If anything happens, give me a call. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. You… Ugh-You have my number, right? Just in case you can’t reach me at the office.”

“I should, I see no reason why.” Kuroko flipped his phone open and went through his contacts. He spotted the correct number and nodded. “I still have it, you’re fine.”

“Ah.” Kagami’s face brightened slightly. “Good, that’s… um, really good.”

A sudden arm landed over Kuroko’s shoulder, pulling him closer to a familiar chest. The smaller of the two looked up, and he wasn’t surprised at the least.

“Okay Bakagami, time for you to go. Wouldn’t want ya to be late.” Aomine glared as he waved a goodbye.

“Hey.” Kuroko poked the shifter’s cheek and gave a small pout. “Be nice.”

Aomine pursed his lips and pulled back. “Whatever.” He walked away and settled on the couch in the living room.

“Don’t worry about it...” The red-haired man gathered his cases and waved at Kuroko. “When I get back, let’s go grab some food. It’ll be my treat.”

Kuroko agreed since it’d been a while since their last get together. “I would like that.”

“Great. I’ll see you later.” Kagami smothered Kuroko’s blue tresses a bit before taking his leave.

Kuroko watched him and shut the door. He went to the living room and saw how Kise and Kasamatsu were gone.

“Where are Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-san?” Kuroko asked as he looked around.

“Probably screwing each other somewhere.” Aomine replied nonchalantly and turned to his side.

“Wh-what?” He really hoped they weren’t doing it, especially when they were in his house. It would mean he would have to disinfect the area while yelling at both of them for thinking about it. 

“Hah! You actually believe that? Aren’t you a bit gullible?” Aomine cried out with laughter before reaching his hand out. “Come here.”

“Oh...” Kuroko furrowed his brows. He couldn’t tell. He really thought those two would do it without him knowing. He kind of assumed that Kise would be the one to suggest it too, since Kasamatsu didn’t seem to be the type to do so. Especially when Kasamatsu seemed to be a polite and respectable person. But Kuroko shouldn’t be thinking of this; it was their business. 

“Don’t think too hard. Now get your ass over here.”

“Aomine-kun has a dirty mouth.” But he complied anyway, and yelped when he was suddenly pulled down. He landed on top of the other’s chest and stared at the shifter with a confused look. One thing Kuroko knew for sure was that Aomine clearly enjoyed the close contact.

“What? Don’t humans do this? Like relax and shit?” 

“Y-yeah, they do I guess.” Kuroko managed to say. His heart accelerated, and the hand on his back sent tingles up his spine. “Mostly people who are more than friends though.” But he wasn’t sure either.

“Well, aren’t we more than friends?” Kuroko spotted that Cheshire cat-like smile on the man’s face and the teasing tone in his voice. Kuroko hid his face in Aomine’s chest and breathed. He was only joking around, right? The one word that came to mind was ‘lovers’, and it wasn’t like that. They weren’t like that at all, but the thought of it really embarrassed Kuroko. They were just friends, that was how he would define their relationship.

‘You should tell him how you really feel, the whole heart beating so fast and makes your knees go weak sort of thing.’

Kasamatsu’s words weren’t helping him either.

The soft touches in his hair awoke him from his thoughts. He felt Aomine’s long fingers sweeping through his hair. “Sorry, it was a joke.” Was that remorse he heard? Kuroko looked up and saw that smiling face. It puzzled him, and he didn’t understand why. Kuroko sat up, almost longing for the fingers in his hair.

“Do you want me take a look at your cuts?” Kuroko glanced at the red marks all over Aomine’s body. Since, after all, Aomine preferred him to take care of his injuries.

“Nah, doesn’t bother me.” Aomine replied uninterestingly. And there was that attitude again. Kuroko mentally sighed, and grabbed the extra items that Kagami had left for him.

“Well, I still care for your well-being.” Kuroko took out what he needed and poured some antiseptic on a cotton ball. 

He waited for Aomine to say something before continuing, but he didn’t utter a single word. Kuroko dabbed at the cuts and wrapped the bandages around the new ones after taking off the old ones off. At least the previous injuries looked better than before. He had noticed the tiny twitches in the shifter’s eye and apologized. He tried to be as gentle as he could while smoothing out the bandages. Once Kuroko finished, he saw how nicely done the wrappings were and smiled at his success.

“There. Ah, let me grab the clothes I bought for you.” Kuroko touched his shoulder and went upstairs, leaving Aomine laying on the couch in thought.

He went to his bedroom and grabbed the bag of new clothes. Before he headed down, he saw Kise and Kasamatsu in his bathroom. 

“Ah, are you guys okay?” He asked, genuinely concerned about them.

“Kuroko, there’s something we need to tell you.” Kasamatsu stated seriously. 

“Oh, well let’s go downstairs then.” Kuroko wondered what they wanted to tell him. From the sound of it, it didn’t seem good.

Firstly, Kuroko gave the bag to Aomine. “These are all yours. So go ahead-” He stopped and watched Aomine as he abruptly started undressing in front of him. The dirty clothes dropped to the floor, and Kise covered his eyes, his face embarrassed as he freaked out.

“AOMINECCHI! WHY?!”

“Wonderful…” Kasamatsu rubbed his forehead in circles. 

“What’s your problem?” Aomine shrugged and continued to do what he was doing. 

Kuroko, on the other hand, turned around. At least he would give him some kind of courtesy. “I don’t believe everyone was expecting you to change right here.”

“There’s no shame in that.” The well-sculpted man put on a shirt and a pair of pants that fitted him nicely. 

“If Kise-kun were to do that in front of you. I believe you would have the same reaction.” Kuroko replied bluntly. He turned around after sensing Aomine was done, and saw how nice the clothes looked on him. It was a nice change of scenery. “They look good on you.”

Dark blue eyes beamed at him and when he was about to open his mouth, Kasamatsu let out a cough to get their attention.

“I have something to say to you both.” His voice lowered and he looked at Kuroko with a frown. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you have to leave this place.”

Was he hearing that right? “Wh-what? Why?”

“Sorry, Kuroko,” Kasamatsu placed a hand on the smaller’s shoulder. “But if you want to live, you and Aomine have to get out of here. It’s for your own safety.”

“Hold on a second.” Kuroko shook his head and backed away. Telling him to leave like this was so sudden! He couldn’t depart from his home, this place meant everything to him. His entire life was spent here, and then to suddenly be told to go felt as though he was abandoning it. “I can’t do that. You don’t get to make that decision for me.” He voice stressed on the last.

“Kurokocchi,” Kise stepped forward and took Kuroko’s hand in his. “There are bad men coming your way. You won’t be able to stop them, so we’re begging you. Get as far away from this place, somewhere safe. We’ll take care of them for you.”

“But Aomine-kun can help you. I can help too.” Kuroko looked into Kise’s eyes and saw misery, nothing else. As if there wasn’t any hope to begin with. “Kise-kun…”

“We messed up, and you saved us after what happened. With Aominecchi unable to shift, he won’t last long against what’s coming. It’s best for him to protect you. We’re not going to drag you into this fight.” Kise massaged Kuroko’s hands with light touches. Part of him knew Kise wanted him to be safe, but it wasn’t fair. “We’re friends aren’t we? And friends protect each other afterall!” Kise’s beaming personality couldn’t persuade him. Kuroko shook his head, desperately wanting him to stay. This wasn’t happening, and he just met these two today. He didn’t want to part from them already.

“But that’s…” Kuroko tried.

“We’ll handle the situation.” Kasamatsu said afterwards.

“The hell you ain’t!” Aomine cried out as he gripped Kasamatsu by the collar of his shirt. “You can barely do shit with that fucked up arm. I’m staying so you guys don’t screw it up!”

“I can still shoot with my other. I left my briefcase here and it has what I need.” Kasamatsu glared back. His good hand pushed Aomine away, and both fell back a bit. “I’m not here to argue. Protect Kuroko and find a way to get those chains off too. That’s an order.”

“I don’t follow shit.” Aomine firmly stood his ground. “I’m staying.”

Kise sighed at the man’s stubbornness and poked him several times in the chest. “Aominecchi, you’re leaving. It’s decided, and we’re going to kick ass so they don’t mess with us anymore. Don’t bring Kurokocchi into this, take him somewhere nice. You two should see the world!”

“Then why don’t you come with us?” Both Kise and Kasamatsu could see the world with them as well. Why would they waste their life on him? It was crazy.

“Well someone has to stop them.” Kise pointed at himself. “That would be me.”

“I don’t believe you.” Kuroko huffed.

“Kurokocchi is almost as difficult as Aominecchi. We’ll come and find you once we’re done here. That’s a promise.” He even raised his pinky finger. “I swear it.”

“You shouldn’t make a promise you can’t keep.” Kuroko said quietly, but he wrapped his pinky around the blonde’s and shook on it. They would come back and everything would be fine. 

Kise simply smiled and let go. “Don’t think lightly of us. I would’ve killed Aominecchi if you didn’t come in.” There was a glint in his eyes, and Kuroko wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.

Kasamatsu bumped the top of Kise’s head. “Kuroko, you should pack something light.” He quickly suggested and Kuroko looked down, feeling a bit defeated. He had nothing else to say so he left the room, and went upstairs to his.

Everyone watched him leave, and Aomine was pissed off the most. He tried to convince both Kasamatsu and Kise to see it differently, but all he received was the same answer. With his yelling and loud-mouthing, Kuroko could hear most of it as he reached his room. He glanced at it, seeing how nothing had changed over the years, except for the color of his walls. They used to be a beige color, but now it was somewhat the color of a robin’s egg.

He took his backpack from his closet and stuffed his clothes from the dresser. He made sure to bring his wallet, pepper spray, and a folded knife. It didn’t hurt to bring them.

On top of his dresser laid a row of framed pictures with him and his grandmother. In some pictures, they were smiling together. One picture was taken in the kitchen and another in the backyard. He remembered keeping a camera with him at all times because he wanted to cherish the memories forever. He kept all of the pictures in a photo album right behind the framed one. There were a few others with his grandmother only, both in her younger and older days. He missed her very much.

One by one, he took the pictures out of the frame and put them in his backpack for safe-keeping along with the photo book. He picked up the last frame, and it was the two of them smiling as they stood in front of the house. Kuroko was much younger back then, but he remembered how excited he was to live there. After the picture was taken, he would run inside in every room possible and be amazed at how ‘cool’ it was.

Kuroko slid onto the floor, his shoulder resting on the dresser. He bent his knees and kept the frame close to his heart. “Grandma.”

“Tetsu, you got everything?” Aomine came up and paused in front of Kuroko’s room. “Tetsu?” He slowly walked inside.

“I want to be alone, please.” Kuroko muttered as he kept himself tightly closed. He didn’t even turn around to look at Aomine. He silently thought about his grandma and asked her if this was the right path to take. 

Aomine grimaced and went out without saying a word. He waited near the front door, and all he could hear were the small cries coming from the hunched man. Aomine clenched his fists together, unable to do anything except wait.

~*~  
The panther shifter said he was going to check on Kuroko. Once he left, Kasamatsu grabbed his suitcase and opened it up. He lifted the upper part and revealed a small compartment underneath. He opened it and handed two grenades to Kise while keeping the other two to himself.

“Make them count. Don’t be reckless, got it?” 

“Loud and clear, senpai.” Kise replied and hid them where they couldn’t be seen.

“Kise, if you want…” Kasamatsu placed the extra gun down and honestly looked at his partner. “You can go with Kuroko. I won’t stop you if that’s your wish.” 

“What’re you talking about?” Kise startled by the question. “Now who’s the idiot one here?” He gathered Kasamatsu in his arms and leaned his forehead against his partner’s, golden eyes steady as they caught his gaze. “I’m not leaving you. My place is by your side, don’t think about throwing me away.”

“But there’s nothing for you here. Don’t you get it?” 

“You’re all I need, isn’t that enough?” Kise cupped his face tenderly and kissed him on the lips. Kasamatsu let out a small gasp and felt himself falling onto the couch, his eyes never left his partner. 

“But…”

A smile rose to his face as he straddled Kasamatsu’s hips, moving them languidly while watching the man underneath him mew at the sensation. “You’re everything to me.” He unbuttoned the shirt and parted to the side, revealing the sharp creamy tone of Kasamatsu’s chest. Kise left a trail of heat as he kissed his chest, even the faded scars got attention. Teeth grazed his perked nipples, suckling them like a baby’s need for milk. His canine teeth bit one before moving to another, giving the same care.

Kasamatsu’s cheeks flushed with color, and his body trembled as he felt every single touch. His hand gripped Kise’s head until their breaths mingled with one other and mouths clashed in a battle of dominance. Their lips molded together, Kise’s tongue slipped inside to taste the wet cavern before his partner’s tongue met with his. “Love you.” The captain said once they parted for air. Kise saw the desire in those eyes and without a doubt, he fell in love with him all over again.

“Always.”

Kise gave himself some room. Hands unzipped the captain’s pants and slipped them down, revealing a fully hard cock underneath his underwear along a dark, wet spot. “You’re this hard already?” A finger flicked at the damp material covering just where his tip was leaking pre-cum.

“Ah!” Kasamatsu let out and covered his mouth as his entire face grew hot. He averted his gaze to the side while Kise bent his head down, his nose brushing against the think material. Kise inhaled the pleasant scent and covered the length with delicate kisses. He lifted a leg and caressed along Kasamatsu’s inner thighs, over his covered testicles, and down to his entrance. 

Soft, whining sounds became needy under him, but Kise took his time to play. A thumb brushed against the fabric where the slit was, and sharp eyes watched how the captain let out a quivering breath with every touch. Soon the soaked area was assaulted by Kise’s teasing of his tongue. The pink appendage slowly shifted to a dark forked tongue like a snake. It made its way up and around, even the tip was generously tortured as Kasamatsu cried out in pleasure.

“Nn… Ah! Hah. D-damn it-Kise! Hurry up!” Kasamatsu managed to let out with a shaky breath.

“Aww, anything for you.” The blonde man complied. He tugged the underwear off and come trickled down the shaft. Kise gave it a fine lick. With a smack of his lips, he hummed with approval, while Kasamatsu’s cheeks reddened entirely. Kise flipped his lover over and kissed the nape of his neck, before working his way down captain’s spine while pinching his rosy buds. He then raised Kasamatsu’s hips slightly and stroked him until his entire hand was slicked with his partner’s essence. Kasamatsu whimpered at the loss of contact and moaned as he felt a finger on his entrance, massaging the outer rims. He maneuvered his hips, demanding a finger inside. 

“Wow…” Kise gasped with fascination and slipped a finger inside with ease. “It’s so hungry for it. Oh, but your arm-” 

“Fuck! Sh-shut up, you…Aah-Idiot-I’m fine!” Kasamatsu strained his words as he begged for more while his shaft jerked against the couch with streaks of liquid.

“Mmm!” Another finger went inside.

“You’re so tight, Kasamatsucchi.” Both fingers made a scissoring motion, trying to stretch him out. Then he added a third while Kasamatsu hid his face into the couch, a hand gripped onto the pillow in front of him. Kise felt the insides accommodating his fingers as he thrust them in and out.

“F-fucker, talk-mmm-too much! Hngh!” 

Kise smiled as he withdrew his fingers. He took his own pants off with haste and quickly stroked his own stiff member. “I love you.” He said once more. He parted both butt cheeks, revealing the innocent hue of pink twitching with every waiting second.

“Stop staring!” Kasamatsu cried out. 

“But it’s so cute.” Kise pressed his lips against the puckered hole, making a suckling noise while his saliva coated it generously. Kasamatsu let out a squeak as a long, blue lizard tongue licked from his testicles to his opening in one stroke, but he wasn’t stopping. His sacs became a tease fest for Kise as the blonde listened to the hefty groans coming from Kasamatsu. The long tongue slid around, leaving a wet path as he enjoyed caressing every sensitive one. 

Kasamatsu shuddered and slowly looked behind, seeing the familiar appendage as Kise stuck his blue tongue at him. “Fuckin’ hell.”

“You love it.” Kise replied without a care, and his tongue entered the tight ring of muscles while a hand fondled with the other’s balls. Kasamatsu cursed as his entire body melted into the moist heat. He held back a cry as he felt the tongue curled up inside.

With one final lick, he pulled back and turned Kasamatsu over. “Touch yourself.”

As if Kasamatsu’s cheeks couldn’t get any more red, he parted his legs displaying his privates in full view. A hand brushed a nipple, and down his navel where he tugged his erection before settling on his aching entrance. His middle finger went inside.

“Slowly…” Kise watched hungrily. The captain’s finger took its time entering while he shot his head back, biting his lips as his body bucked to the intrusion. Soon it was all the way up to his knuckle, and he slowly started to move the finger. His toes curled up while his legs slightly lifted. Kise watched, entranced by his senpai’s actions. “Keep going, you’re doing so well.” He touched his own erected member as he watched in rapture.

Kasamatsu inserted a second finger and continuously moved inside, fingers wet and dripping. “Ngh, haah-Aaah… Kise, please!”

Fingers pulled out with a small pop. Kasamatsu stretched his asshole with two fingers, giving Kise a view of pink. “Fuck me.” 

Yellow irises glinted madly, and Kise centered his prepared cock at the slicked entrance. 

He pushed in.

“Oh god!” Kasamatsu muffled his moans into the pillow as Kise gently went in inch by inch until his entire length was fully inside. Kise started to move at a slow pace, taking in every sound Kasamatsu made. It was long and drawn out, and Kasamatsu couldn’t take it anymore, begging for release until the pace started to quicken; skin slapping hard against as the cock pounded into him. 

“Ah! Right-oh yes-hah! There!” Kasamatsu let out, and Kise fucked him, hitting that spot at every thrust. Finally, the two came hard as they both reached their orgasms. His insides filled with Kise’s fluids while his own splattered over his chest and the couch.

Kise rested on top of Kasamatsu, his breathing heavy right next to him. “Kurokocchi is going to be mad.”

“You’re cleaning the mess up.” Kasamatsu replied tiredly, his body covere in sweat and cum.

“Sounds good to me.” Kise got up and turned Kasamatsu onto his side, another smirk written all over his face.

“What are you-” Kasamatsu started, but was cut off as he watched Kise lift a leg over his own shoulder, and he started thrusting back inside him. Kasamatsu gnawed at the pillow, covering his screams of delight; his spent member stood erected once more. The straight on assault onto his already abused prostate was gradually tormented Kasamatsu to the brink of another orgasm. Kasamatsu bent his head back and cried out as he came all over while Kise stroked his cock, milking every last drop. Kise soon reached his own climax, releasing another load inside. He slowly pulled out as come dribbled out soon afterwards.

“Ah, so much…” He leaned down, lapping the entrance with the intent to clean his captain. He made sure he got every last drop while his large tongue slipped inside, greedily licking with attention.

Kasamatsu laid on his side panting, his chest rising up and down, letting out soft gasps as he muttered to Kise that he could clean himself, but he was exhausted, and allowed the attention. His shaft grew semi-hard and spurted come once more with the help from Kise. Once the blonde man retracted, he gave Kasamatsu a lazy kiss on the mouth, and brushed the black, damped hair back. 

“Just rest, I’ll take care of everything.”

~*~

While upstairs, Aomine knew what was going on with those two, and was entirely disgusted because he hoped to god he doesn’t find them naked by the time he came down with Kuroko. Their scent alone was enough to irritate his nose, and their low cries made him want ear plugs, if he was able to find them.

He didn’t know how long he waited, but when he heard how quiet it was, he looked into the room. Kuroko wasn’t moving and was lying against his dresser, his breathing even. His cheeks were covered with dry tears. Aomine glanced at the item Kuroko was holding. He picked it up carefully and saw a younger Kuroko with a woman, who Aomine assumed was Kuroko’s grandmother, standing next to him.

The aching pain arose in his chest, and he looked at the sleeping man. He came to the conclusion Kuroko was being taken away from his home, just like him a long time ago. It was unfair, he knew that much. He tried to reason with the others, but they downright refused. No matter how hard he tried, Kuroko had to leave.

Aomine slipped the picture back into Kuroko’s hand and lifted the smaller body. He placed him on the bed and pulled the covers over him. He settled right next to him with an arm above Kuroko’s head and his hand parted the few stray strands of blue away from his face.

“I’ll protect you so don’t cry.” He nuzzled against Kuroko’s hair, and slowly fell asleep to a faint scent of vanilla.

~*~  
“Are we there yet?” The large purple-haired man yawned loudly as he walked along with his partner. “We haven’t eaten at all.”

Himuro laughed heartily as he walked with a long black suitcase in hand. “We just ate before we left.”

“But Muro-chin, I’m hungry again.” Murasakibara pouted, but soon his spirits were lifted after Himuro handed him a wrapping of fresh meat.

“This should satisfy your hunger for a bit. I was told you’ll be eating a full meal once this mission is over.”

Murasakibara unraveled the packaged and ate the entire thing in one go. “I cannot wait.” His tongue licked the blood off his lips and the wrapping as well.

“We’re almost there. Just be a little more patient, Atsushi.” He kindly smiled and looked at his tracking device. The red dot was not too far ahead.

~*~

Sky-blue eyes opened to the dark-skinned man in front of him. Kuroko blinked at Aomine’s sleeping face and from what he could tell, he was on his bed. Did Aomine carried him here? He remembered crying and falling asleep right after. 

His thoughts strayed to the fact that he was leaving his home. Would he be on the run forever? Can he come back here? Will it be safe? He choked back a distressed cry, and without a warning, Aomine’s hand wrapped around his back, pulling him close. 

“Don’t cry.” His tender voice whispered in his ear. 

“Promise me something, Aomine-kun.” Kuroko gripped the dark tee tightly. 

“Anything.” He whispered back.

“Promise me you’ll take me back here someday.”

Aomine held him tighter in his hold. “I promise.”

He saw the genuine look on Aomine’s face, and it gave him a spark of hope. He wiped the remaining tears away. “Thank you.” Kuroko smiled and kissed the man’s cheek, but he realized what he had done soon after. His face flushed, and he stammered as he tried to explain himself. The shifter’s eyes widened as his face turned a rosy color, quite visible even against his dark complexion.

Once Kuroko calmed himself, he quickly mentioned how they should get going. Kise and Kasamatsu were waiting for them, and it was best to get a head start. Deep in his heart, he didn’t want to go but there wasn’t a second choice. Before he even made it off the bed, Aomine grabbed an arm.

“Tetsu.”

Kuroko saw in his eyes that there was something he wanted to say. Even the bite of his lips told Kuroko a lot already. 

“You can tell me later if you like.”

“When we get these off.” Aomine motioned the chains on him. “I’ll tell you then.”

“Okay. Kagami-kun gave me the address to the locksmith. We should go as soon as we get into town.”

Aomine nodded his head and let him go. Kuroko grabbed his book bag and put the last picture away. He zipped it, and Aomine took the bag from him.

“I’ll carry this.” He said and darted toward the stairs with Kuroko following behind as he thanked him for his help.

Once they reached downstairs, they found Kise and Kasamatsu waiting for them at the door. Kuroko noticed Kise’s hair was a bit disheveled while his partner’s clothing was also a bit messy. His shirt was untucked and a few buttons were opened. Aomine whiffed the air and lowly growled. Kuroko stared at him and the other two confusingly. Kise waved at Kuroko with a cheery air around him while Kasamatsu exhale tiredly.

“Did I miss something?” Kuroko tilted his head to the side, but all he got was a very pleased Kise, a tired Kasamatsu, and an annoyed Aomine. 

“It’s nothing.” Kasamatsu waved his hand. “It’s time to get going. Do you have a destination in mind?”

“Ah, well… There’s a locksmith in town so hopefully this person can remove Aomine-kun’s chains.”

Kasamatsu nodded. “Good. If he’s able to regain his panther form, then it’ll save you time. He’s quite agile so he’ll cut your traveling by a good amount.”

Kuroko understood and looked at his two friends for the last time. “I guess this is a goodbye then.”

“Wah, Kurokocchi! It’s never a goodbye!” Kise embraced Kuroko, his cheeks rubbing into him. “We’ll see each other again.”

“Yes, we’ll be waiting.” Kuroko hugged him, saddened to leave him. “Kise-kun should keep smiling instead of crying like a baby.”

“I don’t cry!” Kise rubbed the little tear drops and gave Kuroko the biggest smile possible. “See?” Kuroko saw Kise desperately trying to hold it as his lips wavered slightly.

“Kise-kun has a wonderful expression.”

The copycat’s face immediately squealed and cried out that Kuroko was the best friend ever. He pulled back and looked at Aomine with a hard glare. “Protect him with your life.”

“Tch, you don’t have to tell me that, you sex fiend.” Aomine scoffed, unamused by Kise. Kuroko was about to question what he meant, but Kasamatsu quickly attracted his attention.

“Here, I want you to have this.” Kasamatsu held the gun in front of him. Kuroko remembered the feel of it as he fired one before. He wasn’t a killer. He wasn’t even properly trained to use one.

“Kasamatsu-san…” He said hesitantly.

“A last resort. I pray that you won’t have to use it but just in case.” 

“Alright,” Kuroko took the gun slowly and felt the weight in his hand once again. Kindly enough, Kasamatsu showed him how to turn the safety on and off. With a small thanks, Kuroko placed the gun in his bag that Aomine had. He didn’t want to be seen carrying around with it anyway.

“I guess this is it.” Kasamatsu touched Kuroko’s shoulder. “Thanks for everything. Take care of yourself and that overgrown cat.” His eyes shifted to the dark-skinned man before they returned to Kuroko. “Don’t look back, just keep moving forward.”

Kuroko gave a nod and headed to the front door with Aomine following behind. He walked outside and took his last step off the porch. He could feel his legs wanting to turn around and go back, to just forget everything about running away, but part of him knew that Kasamatsu was right. He had to say goodbye. He thought of his grandma once more and hoped that this was the right decision to make. Kuroko turned his head and gave a warm smile to his friends. They returned one back and said their goodbyes.

He moved along the dirt road that lead to town, and with every step he took, his home looked smaller to the eyes. Kuroko focused on the ground as they walked, before a hand landed on top of his head, ruffling the light blue locks, and shaking him from his thoughts. He looked up at Aomine and saw that familiar grin.

“They’ll be fine. You worry too much.”

“Yeah.” A lingering smile worked its way up at Kuroko’s face.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone! I made it my goal to start the year with this update so hope you all enjoy. If you have any questions, please let me know.
> 
> This work is not beta. Please visit my Tumblr (heartlessblu) for more info or AoKuro things.

“Let’s set some traps around the house. If anything, we can gain the upper advantage if we’re able to slow them down.” Kasamatsu suggested once Kuroko was out of their sight, and both him and his partner started to look around for anything useful.

Kasamatsu walked into the kitchen and pulled out a few drawers, spotting various kitchen knives and kept one of the larger ones for his own. He threw another one at Kise once the latter walked into the room and caught it with ease. 

“Expecting me to cook tonight?” Kise said with a playful tone. He studied the blade and gave it quick whirl before making slashing motions in the air. “I’ll strap on an apron just for you!” He squeaked as he dodged an incoming blade aimed right at his face. The knife imbedded itself into the white wall.

“Wah! Be careful or you’ll tear the stitches.” Kise quickly went to Kasamatsu’s side and carefully stroked the area around them. Nothing looked out of placed which the blond relieved with a quiet sigh. “Please don’t overdo it.”

“I’ll be fine.” Kasamatsu slipped from the copycat’s hold and rubbed the canine ears which appeared when Kise became highly concern. “You worry too much.”

“Only because it’s senpai.” Kise smiled at the comforting touch.

“Let’s continue. If you find anything that we can use take it.” Leaving Kise behind, Kasamatsu walked out of the kitchen and studied the areas with the windows intact. An idea came to mind but the slight problem was getting them out. He searched around for a basement, and when he found a door leading underground, he went down and turned on a light switch. The entire room lit up, and Kasamatsu saw the basic necessities for home improvement. He grabbed a bundled of rope and a nail gun for starters. Once he got what he need, he went upstairs and handed the items in Kise’s hands when he walked over to him.

“Eh, what are these for?” The blond haired asked.

Kasamatsu explained the idea to him and said to bring back more items from the basement if possible. While the idea won’t completely kill a hybrid, it would at least slow him/her down for a bit, giving them the opportunity to finish the job, but most of all give Kuroko and Aomine time.

“Sounds pretty good to me. Though I feel kinda bad we’re destroying Kurokocchi’s home.” Kise frowned as he settled the items on a table. 

“If you want, we’ll clean it up for him once this whole mess is over.” Kasamatsu said lightly as the shifter enthusiastically replied with several nods. Kasamatsu headed upstairs, hoping he’ll find some more equipment before the sun sets.

~*~

They finally reached town.

Kuroko took the small yellow paper from his pocket that Kagami wrote for him and pointed out that it won’t be too long before they arrive. “Good thing it’s not a far walk.” He folded the piece of paper and put it back in his pocket. He then glanced at Aomine and graced a pleasant curl of his lips..

“What?” Aomine raised a brow. “Something on my face?”

“Are you happy? You’ll be getting them off soon.” Kuroko asked softly as he kept the excitement to himself, afraid he would embarrassed himself in front of Aomine although he was delighted all together. It would be a huge relief for both of them, and he prayed for the locksmith’s ability to make it happen. 

Aomine let out a strained sigh. “It’s not something a mere person can do. That doc is the only one who has access to these.” The chains clinked as he moved his wrists.

“Don’t lose hope, Aomine-kun. We’ll get them off, I’m sure of it.” Certainty radiated over the young man as he rested his smaller hand over the larger one.

“Damn, you’re just full of confidence, aren’t ya?” Aomine responded with a small smile, and that was enough for Kuroko.

The two continued on their way with Kuroko pointing out the few places they passed, informing the shifter about the buildings and the people he knew. He talked about the library once they spotted it, how he used to study there all the time from morning to night, and even getting the best spot before it became crowded during exam periods. 

Aomine eyed him with a crazy look. “Doesn’t even sound comfortable at all.”

“Sometimes. I wasn’t the only one there. Other students would bring their pillows to sleep there too.” Kuroko chuckled after. “You would’ve liked it. There were plenty of nice rooms where you could’ve slept if you’re not caught that is.”

“Heh, sounds like my favorite place already.” 

“I’ll take you there next time.” Kuroko replied with a definite. He even quietly promised himself he would show Aomine all of his favorite places when they come back.

After the library, they arrived at the daycare where Kuroko worked as a teacher, but ever since the huge storm hit, a large tree collapsed on the roof so the place was closed for reconstruction. 

“I suppose being on vacation is nice.” His arms rested on the small gates of the entrance and eyes studied the empty classrooms and playground. A small shift in the winds blew the set of swings and autumn leaves danced in air in many twirls and lifts like a rollercoaster.

“Do you miss it?” Aomine stood right next to Kuroko while looking at the empty school ground.

Kuroko replied quietly with a soft expression. “I do.” He loved how the entire playground used to be full of children running about, playing tag with one another, and pretending they were knights and dragons. Kids went down the slides and across the monkey bars, while others sat on the swing sets and see who could swing the highest. He found great comfort when watching the littles one and made sure they didn't get hurt or start small fights. He missed them running up to him with their laughs and smiles, calling out his name and tugging him along to play.

“Tell me a story.” Aomine broke the silence, startling Kuroko from his thoughts.

“Oh, what kind of story would you like to hear?” 

“Anything.” He shrugged. “You tell me. Don’t know what it’s like in there.”

“Alright, I’ll tell you a small one then.” Kuroko smiled and contemplated. There were plenty of stories to choose from, and all of them were interesting enough.

Kuroko rested his back against the gates and settled his gaze at Aomine. “Well, here’s a story you might enjoy. A few months ago, our class had an arts and crafts day so the children were free to create anything they wanted. I had my back turned to grab more art supplies from the cabinet. By the time I got everything, there was this girl eating glitter straight from the container.” He shook his head, remembering how concerned and frantic he was.

Aomine made a disgusted look and scoffed. “Who the hell eats glitter anyways? Probably taste like shit too.”

“It was quite unfortunate. She told me it reminded her of sprinkles. I was really worried at that time so I took her to the nurse. Everything was fine in the end though. She is quite healthy and full of energy now.”

Kuroko spoke of other stories in which Aomine listened attentively. He commented on some while others, he remained silent and listened which Kuroko didn’t mind at all. It made him happy to know he was listening.

Then it suddenly hit him.

Kuroko stood there frozen in place, his story halted while Aomine stared at him a bit confusingly. 

“Tetsu?”

“Ah, I’m just-” 

“Kuroko-sensei!” 

Kuroko turned and saw a little boy running up to him with a big smile. The kid bumped into his legs and hugged him as if he was hugging a large teddy bear. His face gleamed with happiness while hiding his tiny giggles.

“Hello there, Kio-kun.” Kuroko bent his knees and patted the boy’s head. “What are you doing here?”

“Mommy is taking me to the park to feed the ducks today!”

“That sounds like fun. Play nice with them, okay?”

“Okay!” Kio leaned his head back from Kuroko’s knees, and spotted the tall man behind his teacher. His mouth widened with a gasp and he bolted from his spot until he stood right in front of Aomine.

“Whoa! He’s so tall!” Kio’s eyes widened with amazement. On the other hand, Aomine stared at the little kid, unsure of what to do. He looked at Kuroko and all he got was a pleasant grin.

“He looks strong too, like the superheroes on TV, fighting crime and saving people!” Kio ran around him in a circle and poked at the long chains in awe.

“Does he?” Kuroko tried to hold in a laugh for Aomine’s sake. “Kio-kun should keep it a secret and tell no one, alright?”

“What?!” Aomine cried out with a surprise and Kio squealed in delight and his face hardened with a serious look. 

“I won’t tell anyone. Don’t worry mister, your secret is safe with me.” Kio looked at Aomine and gave a thumbs up.

Kuroko was pretty sure Aomine wasn’t amused at all. He could hear the scowling coming from him as the kid’s attention was all on his newly discovered superhero. Dark blue eyes glared straight at Kuroko while he rolled his eyes.

“Kio!” A woman called out as she ran towards the child, the brief worriedness disappearing. “You shouldn’t have ran away like that. You scared me for a second there.” 

“Mommy!” Kio ran to embrace his mother. “Kuroko-sensei is here!”

The woman brushed a strand of her brown hair back, and green eyes looked at Kuroko. “Ah, Kuroko-sensei, how nice to see you. I’m sorry if my son was of any trouble.” She bowed to him after.

“Oh, do not worry about it. Kio is a very good boy.” Kuroko responded fondly. 

“I’m glad.” Kio’s mother patted her son. “Well it’s time for us to get going, so why don’t you say goodbye to Kuroko-sensei?”

Kio started waving his small hands. “Bye bye!”

Kuroko waved back with a small smile. “Take care.” He watched until the two were gone and turned to look at Aomine, who looked as if he was in deep thought.

“I’m sorry about that, Kio-kun is quite the energetic child. I can tell he’s taken quite a liking to you.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Does Aomine-kun like kids?” Kuroko tilted his head.

Kuroko didn’t miss the twitch in Aomine’s eye. “Feh, they’re annoying and make a lot of noises. Also messy and never leave you alone when you wanna be alone.” 

“Were you around them a lot? Before Akashi…” Kuroko hesitantly questioned.

Aomine put his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, but they weren’t so bad once you get used to them.” It was all he said before mentioning that they should keep moving.

“Ah, right.” Kuroko continued on while imagining Aomine with kids. Aomine heard the subtle noise from Kuroko’s mouth and asked, but Kuroko simply shook his head and responded that it was nothing.

They finally arrived at the locksmith when it came to view. It was a white building with dark red shutters. Its windows painted with white letterings of not only doing locks but fixing anything from shoes, suitcases, purses, you name it. A large carved out black key was posted on top of the building with the words ‘Locks & Fixes’ painted gold in the center.

“Here we are.” Kuroko said and opened the door. The little bell above rang, and a young man with milky chocolate-colored hair looked up with a bright smile at the two. He settled the box he was carrying down on his desk and walked over.

“Hello there. Welcome to my shop, I’m Furihata Kouki. How may I be of assistance?”

“Yes, I’m hoping you can help me with these.” Kuroko looked at Aomine but seeing that sudden hint of anger on the shifter’s face told him something was wrong.

Aomine glared lowly at the shorter man and took a big whiff of the air. Furihata gave a nervous smile and rubbed his hands together. “Is something the matter?”

“Aomine-kun,” Kuroko touched his arm. “It’s okay.”

“Hn.” Aomine gave a last sniff and lifted his hands from his pockets, showing the heavy chains. Furihata’s eyes widened and he held his wrists with a curious gaze. 

“What happened?” Furihata picked them up to feel the weight of them.

“Ah, just a terrible prank. A friend did it as a joke a few nights ago.” Kuroko blatantly lied. “Is it possible for you to remove them?” 

Furihata turned the wrists slightly and touched the metal insides with his index finger. “I would have to take him in the back and give it a try. I’m assuming you want to get them off now?” He looked up at Aomine.

The taller male growled with displeasure. “What? You think I’m wearing it just for the hell of it?” 

“O-of course not. I-I just want to make sure, that’s all!” Furihata laughed sheepishly and turned his head to Kuroko. “Do you mind waiting?”

He shook his head. “Not at all.”

“Great. If you please, sir. Come with me and I’ll get them off right away.” Furihata led Aomine to the back even though the latter wasn’t too excited being whisked away. He looked at Kuroko, and a tiny smile adorned Kuroko’s face. He bid Aomine a small wave and busied himself as he looked around the store.

He gave a stand of key designs a spin and poked at the various locks offered. He then stood in front of Furihata’s desk and glanced at the glass cage of key holders and a discount going on for them. Many came in simple colored designs of reds, blues, yellows, and greens, to a bit more fancy with rhinestones or various colors mixed creating an intricate design. He popped his head up, and noticed the desk of paperwork and a separate pile of unopened letters.

It wasn’t just one pile, it was about four stacks of them which Kuroko found to be a bit odd. On top of one letter had an elegant ‘A’ on top. The other three stacks had the same letter as well. Maybe the shop owner didn’t get the chance to take a look at them, but no point thinking about it when it wasn’t his business.

A sudden hand grabbed the piles of letters and were immediately dumped in the drawer beneath the desk.

“S-sorry, they’re just junk mail. Haven’t gotten the time to throw them out.” Furihata quickly added. “Umm, I came to tell you that your friend wants you with him. Is that okay?”

“Yes, it’s fine.” A small pressure rose in Kuroko’s chest. “Is everything alright?”

“Oh, he’s just being a little stubborn…” Furihata whispered. “But that’s all! I think he would like some company.”

Kuroko definitely agreed. “I understand.”

Furihata went to his office as Kuroko followed behind. His office was pretty small surprisingly. There were a wooden table and two chairs, one which Aomine already took. Around them were many file cabinets and unopened cardboard boxes which Kuroko carefully maneuvered without bumping into them.

“I’m sorry it’s a bit cramped in here. I hope you don’t mind the mess.” Furihata scratched his head in shame.

“No, it’s fine.” Kuroko moved to stand next to Aomine and gave him a look. 

“What? I didn’t do anything.” The dark skinned male looked away with a low ‘hmph’.

Kuroko moved closer to Aomine, his hip bumping into the man’s shoulder. “I know you didn’t.”

Aomine stared at him and rested his head on Kuroko’s side, nuzzling into his shirt. Kuroko sighed as he stroked through the dark blue hair while hearing what seemed to be small purrs. Sometimes Aomine reminded him of a child who needed comfort or a needy cat, and he didn’t blame him at all. His fingers brushed the shell of the man’s ear before sliding his fingers back into the soft strands of hair. 

“Furihata told me you’re being stubborn.” Kuroko continued his movements while Aomine mumbled something into his shirt.

“Pardon?”

“Just wanted you here.”

Kuroko took a deep breath and held Aomine’s face. “You have me now. We should get these chains off and I’m also curious about what you wanted to tell me after this.” He added gently.

Aomine gave a small nod and leaned back from Kuroko. He placed his right arm on the table first and kept a stern look as he spoke to the small shop keeper. “Make it quick.”

“Y-yes of course.” Furihata swallowed and sat in the empty seat, studying the wrist in hand. He saw how the restraint didn’t have a keyhole but there was a straight line in it as if a type of card could fit into it. 

He shifted it under a large magnifying glass, studying the inside with concentration. “It looks like there is something in here.” He muttered to himself and grabbed an x-acto blade, dipping into the small space with the fine point poking first. “Sounds like it too.” He made a tapping motion along the fine line while Aomine’s hand clenched nervously.

Kuroko held onto the shifter’s other hand, comforting him with a small squeeze. “It’s okay.”

The sounds from the blade continued to make a scraping noise. “I think I got it.” Furihata added as he moved with precision.

“Look kid,” Aomine said. “You can’t take them off,” The manacle undid itself once the younger male finished his task. “Just like that…” He paused as his wrist was free.

Kuroko covered his mouth, holding in a surprise gasp.

“Now the other.” Furihata, pleased with his actions, beckoned the other wrist. 

Aomine slowly settled his other hand in Furihata’s care while disbelief covered the man’s face. With a few tinkering, the final manacle was off and the entire set of chains were placed on the desk with a heavy rattle. “See? That wasn’t too bad.”

The bruises on Aomine’s wrists were quite noticeable but weren’t a bother to the shifter. He moved his arms and bent his wrists, feeling how light they were. Nothing was holding him down. Aomine bent his head and looked at Tetsu, unsure of words to form.

“You’re free.” Kuroko simply stated and held Aomine’s wrists with care as a thumb brushed against Aomine’s pulse and soft fingers rubbed the delicate skin with feather-like touches while avoiding the bruises. He heard a soft reply of a ‘yes’ from the shifter’s lips and turned to Furihata, bowing his head gratefully. “Thank you for your help.”

“I-it’s nothing really. I’m glad I was able to help you. It’s on the house too so don’t worry about paying.” Furihata gave a warm smile. 

“Oh, are you sure? It’s not a problem-” But Aomine pulled Kuroko away with a tug on his arm.

“You heard the kid. It’s time to go anyways.” Even with the sense of urgency in his voice, Aomine grinned with his eyes full of life.

“Ah, y-you’re right. Take care, Furihata.” Kuroko waved a last goodbye as Aomine led him out of the store. 

Furihata waved at them both. As the door came to a close, he looked at the dirty chains on his desk and picked them up with a frown.

“How terrible.” He dumped the chains into the trash and sat in his seat. One look at the unopened letters left an unsatisfactory pain in his chest.

Kuroko and Aomine ran down the street, mostly Aomine tugging him along but Kuroko kept up as he legs pushed onward, while light-blue eyes stared at the pleasant tanned face. Aomine led him to a quiet alleyway and not even slightly exhausted.

“I want to show you something.” Aomine said a bit quickly as Kuroko wondered.

“Hold onto me tightly, wouldn’t want you falling off.” The taller man chuckled as he brought Kuroko closer to him. 

“What do you plan on doing?” Kuroko questioned with a feeling of uncertainty and wrapped his small arms around Aomine’s front nonetheless. He wasn’t sure what to expect but he trusted Aomine not sending him to his doom.

“You’ll see.” The male bent his knees slightly and one hand held Kuroko’s back with a strong grip. 

“Ready?”

With a nod, Kuroko felt the instant force of being pulled into the air as Aomine scaled the brick wall, running upwards and jumping from window stills to staircases leading up to every level of the building. Once he gained enough speed, his entire body started to change. Kuroko’s eyes widened as he watched Aomine’s once dark skin turned into a coat of black and the human face receding back into a proud-like feline with a row of sharp teeth. Aomine reached the roof top and landed with grace on all fours while Kuroko safely lay on top of the cat’s back. The midnight-colored hairs had a sleek shine to it and a velvety feel as he stroked with curious touches.

Warmth ran through his hands as he continued feeling the hairs between his fingers. Kuroko could hear the purrs from under as he continued his gentle caresses. Aomine sat on his hind legs and Kuroko slid off of him easily. Kuroko didn’t know how big of a cat he was until he got a better look, the panther being several inches taller than him.

Aomine brushed his side against Kuroko, burrowing his face while his continuous purrs made the smaller man chuckled. The long tail swiped at his back and under his chin with a quick flick. Kuroko shivered, feeling the small hairs tickling his skin. “Aomine-kun is really beautiful.” The panther stopped in front of him, and sharp blue orbs met with lighter ones. Kuroko scratched the top of the feline’s head while the panther let out a subtle growl of pleasure.

“What is it?” Kuroko asked as Aomine leaned closer. A sudden long tongue licked Kuroko’s face, catching him off guard.

“Ah!” He fell on his butt and cried out with laughter as his face became a target, and hair slicked with saliva. “Aomine-kun-ah! S-stop it, that’s-that’s not fair.” Kuroko squirmed under the warm appendage while trying to pat the panther’s face away.

Aomine head-butted the smaller hands and shifted back to his human form with his muscled arms along Kuroko’s head. He couldn’t help but smirked while Kuroko, heart beating suddenly fast, feeling a bit warm under the intense gaze. “Ah. So what did you wanted to tell me, Aomine-kun?”

He moved until their faces were inches apart. “Tetsu,” He held a shuddered of breath and curled his lips while Kuroko patiently waited.

Aomine tried to calm himself with deep breaths. “I-I’ve come to realize something. You’ve done a lot for me when I wasn’t at my full strength and I have nothing to pay you back with. Your kindness is quite something.”

Kuroko was shushed with a finger when he tried to open his mouth.

“Maybe I’m a fool for saying this but I never been sure all my life until now…” A hand gripped into a tight fist.

“I like you, Tetsu. I really like you. This isn’t something I should be saying now with everything that has happened, but you’re important to me. My wish,” He paused for a moment, “Is to be by your side if you’ll have me. I want you to be only mine and I want to be only yours once all of this is over. I’ll make it right for the both of us.” Aomine’s face burned red and buried his face in Kuroko’s chest. “Goddammit, this is fucking embarrassing.”

Kuroko felt as if his own heart was beating out of his ribs. His face entirely flushed and never in his life did he had someone confessed to him. He never fell in love despite going on a few dates and the man in front of him opened his heart. 

“Aomine-kun shouldn’t say such things because I like you as well.” Kuroko replied and the hybrid looked up shockingly.

“Huh?”

Kuroko rolled his eyes but his smile remained kind and thoughtful. “I like you very much. Aomine-kun is a very kind and honest man despite his rough side although I do not mind really.” He sat up, cupping Aomine’s face in hand, his thumbs caressing the slightly pink cheeks. “Stay with me and I’ll be yours.” His released his hands and rested them on his lap.  
“Are you sure this is what you want?” Aomine held Kuroko’s hands. 

“Yes but I’m not sure how this goes, to be honest. Being in a relationship, I mean…” Kuroko pursed his lips and his ears grew a certain shade of red.

“We’ll take it slow, we don’t have to rush things. Once everything is over, let me properly court you.” Aomine tapped his forehead to Kuroko’s and saw a nod.

“Ah, I would like that.”

“Can I kiss you? I mean we don’t have to-” 

“Y-yes, you may.” Kuroko blurted out.

Aomine grasped the side of Kuroko’s head, pulling him closer until their lips met. It was light and inexperienced, but Kuroko didn’t mind it one bit. Kissing Aomine felt really nice.

Before the shifter pulled back, he rubbed his nose against Kuroko’s and apologized. “Sorry, that wasn’t good-” but Kuroko silenced him with a fingertip on his lips.

“I liked it, isn’t that more than enough?” Kuroko whispered and little black ears perked up. He’ll take that as a yes. “We should get going.”

“Where should we go?” The dark-haired man looked into the distance. All he saw was the rest of the town and endless land that seemed to stretch on forever. Kuroko thought about it as well. Perhaps somewhere far where they can build a home, where no one can disturb them. Similar to his grandmother’s house.

“What about near the ocean which seems quiet?” Aomine looked at Kuroko. “And find a house there too, like the one you lived in.”

The idea sounded nice, a small house with the two of them, he imagined. Maybe a boat down the shore and figure out how to fish, but to get there will be quite a lengthy travel. There were many towns to pass through first, and if anything, he hoped no one will find them. He prayed for Kise and Kasamatsu to come see them soon.

“If not then,” Aomine scratched his head. “We’ll figure something else.”

“It’s perfect.” Kuroko stood, bringing the shifter up by the hand. He wrapped his arms around Aomine’s waist and sighed deeply into his chest. 

“Let’s get moving.” Aomine planted a short kiss upon the pale skin before shifting into his panther form. He nudged Kuroko’s leg and signaled to his back.

“You want me to get on?”

He nodded.

“Are you sure? I’m not too heavy for you?” Kuroko asked a bit worryingly, but Aomine let out a huff and bumped his nose into his leg once more.

“Oh, alright then.” Kuroko got on and grasped the fur in his hand. “We have a long journey ahead so we’ll head north for now. When we get to the next town, let’s find a place to stay.”

~*~

In a quiet room full of computers and other electronics, Imayoshi browsed through various data on his screen while fingers typed away until an icon started flashing every second. With a few clicks, he noticed a blue dot blinking between the gridlines of a map.

“Oh my, what do we have here?”

He checked the coordinates of it and the exact location of where the dot was coming from. He curled his lips, knowing exactly where this place was. With the information already written down, Imayoshi made way to his planned destination.

With two knocks on the door, Imayoshi heard the words ‘come in’ and entered. When he saw Akashi, Akashi stopped with his game of shogi and looked up. “Is there something you need?”

“I found him, sir.” Imayoshi smiled as he walked over to the desk and took a quick peek at the pieces on the board. “Someone was clever enough to take the chains off and I believe you’re familiar with this person.”

“Oh?” Akashi smiled. “And who may that be?” 

Imayoshi showed him the coordinates and noticed how Akashi’s eyes reacted from a sharp amber before settling back into a soothing red. Imayoshi felt the unsettling aura around the leader and made way as Akashi moved to grab his jacket. 

“I believe it’s time I visit a dear friend. It’s been a while since our last conversation after all.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the next chapter! And who knows when the next chapter will be up but thank you for the kudos and comments, glad there are people still liking this story. It keeps me going in the long run. 
> 
> This is unbeta work. Any questions about my story, you can find me at heartlessblu (Tumblr).

Kise and Kasamatsu remained on high alert as they continued to take turns to watch for any strange and/or subtle changes outside of Kuroko’s home. Mostly Kise preferred to keep a look out and suggested Kasamatsu to rest. His dog ears would droop at every moment when his captain refused to do so because ‘I’m not tired’ came out of his mouth repeatedly. Kasamatsu was stubborn, he’d give him that but Kise even more, and with a few gentle pushes (on his good arm) and a lot of whining from the shifter made Kasamatsu concede. He accepted and went to rest but told Kise to immediately wake him up if anything is wrong.

A lot of things happened in a day but Kise wasn’t tired at all, in fact his body readied to go all out. He wanted to protect Kasamatsu from any possible danger. If his enemies wanted to get to him, they will have to go through him first. His senses were on high alert as his dog ears continued to flick at certain noises. A few crickets in the bushes and the soft chirps of birds here and there but other than that, the night remained calm. The moon was out and a few strays of clouds passed over the house, a calming effect which Kise enjoyed. He pulled the white drapes back, and poked his head out from the barraged, windowless opening of furniture and chairs. He took a sniff of the outside air.

Nothing.

Kise could go out and fly for a better view of his surroundings, but he felt the need to be near Kasamatsu at all times. 

He let out a small sigh and released the drapes. He stood and went to where his captain was sleeping. Upstairs to the guest room, he found Kasamatsu with a comforter covering his waist while in deep rest while his injured arm settled over his chest. He needed as much sleep he could get after all, anything to regain his strength. 

The shifter suddenly raised his hands to his mouth to keep himself from laughing at the sudden memory when Kasamatsu refused to sleep on Kuroko’s couch, despite Kise cleaning up the mess with much effort but the captain didn’t believe it one bit. 

Kasamatsu’s low breathing filled the bedroom air while Kise gave a petite smile as he went over, touching the side of his captain’s face, feeling the smooth contours. A small gesture as he carefully refrained from waking the captain up. Kasamatsu let out a sigh of content as he moved his head towards Kise’s hand, his eyes closed with a calming expression.

“Rest well, my captain.” Kise looked out the window once more, giving a last glance of the outside before heading back downstairs. As he went down, he thought of the events that transpired today after Kuroko and Aomine left. He prayed those two were well and somewhere far. 

With the traps set up, Kise figured it would be best to get rid of any evidence that would lead to Kuroko living here. Names on envelopes and pictures, for starters. If anyone were to find him, he would be hunted down and Kise wouldn’t allow that despite feeling bad to touch any of Kuroko’s remaining belongings. 

Kise went through drawers, dressers, any kind of storage unit that would hold documents and filings. He managed to find some addressed to Kuroko and ripped the name apart. He flushed the small pieces down the toilet, though he could’ve burned them over the fire, but he didn’t want to run the chance of smoke attracting unwanted attention. He checked all of the rooms and completed the matter with quick success.

Once everything was finished, Kise and Kasamatsu took a break, filling their stomach with food from the fridge before taking turns on watch. Time seemed to slow, the sun setting down and a night of starlight appeared, and so far they didn’t find trouble on their doorsteps.

The shifter settled into the living room once more. He sat near a barged up window with his back to the wall, with one leg bent upward while the other laid lazily forward.

He shut his eyes for one moment. A few minutes of rest won’t hurt him.

~*~

“Kise Ryouta, from First Division, you are assigned to Captain Kasamatsu Kasamatsu. He’s waiting for you pass those doors and will fill you in on further details.” Kobari flipped the last remaining pages and pointed at the gray doors behind Kise. They stood in a processing room filled with armed soldiers, ready to shoot at will if the shifter happened to get out of line. Kobari’s men beside him stood behind and followed as Kise turned and walked to the doors.

The doors parted and Kise went inside. He found a man sitting in the middle of a room along with soldiers stationed at every corner, watching the shifter attentively. The two soldiers near him waited at the entrance while the shifter took note of this stranger wearing a white dress shirt tucked neatly in his pants, but a black tie loosed and a few buttons left unattended. Beside him, a small silver case settled against his legs. 

Kise took one look at the man’s attractive face with sharp eyes, and he knew it was going to be an interesting ride. He hid the giddiness rising in his chest as he got closer to him. 

“Hello there!” Kise cried out. Kasamatsu stared at him with a raised eyebrow and sat up with a stern expression.

The two came face to face.

“Oh, you’re quite the handsome one.” Honey eyes studied every part of Kasamatsu, pleased with what he was seeing. Kise moved in closer as he studied the pair of eyes. A hint of silver blending with the blue, reminding him of a sharp blade readied to be drawn. “They’re even better from this view.”

“Excuse me?” Eyes widened just slightly and Kasamatsu took a step back, just enough to have some personal space to himself.

“It’s true.” Kise said casually. “I thought I would end up with someone quite the opposite, but it’s a good thing I got lucky.” He stepped forward, invading Kasamatsu’s space once more. “I’m Kise but you already knew that.”

Kasamatsu looked at the shifter with disappointment and shook his head. “Are they serious?” He rubbed his temples with a bit of frustration. He hastily picked up his case and walked passed Kise without another word.

“Oi, Kobari!” Kasamatsu passed the armed soldiers and opened the door. “You got to be joking!” 

“Hey, don’t leave! Come back!” Kise cried out but Kasamatsu didn’t glanced back. The door closed behind him, leaving Kise with a pout. He combed through his hair and took Kasamatsu’s seat. “Maybe should’ve toned it down a bit, heh.” With a sigh, he waited for the captain to come back. He could even hear the two voices bantering on the other side and assumed Kasamatsu was the more vocal one.

The unwavering soldiers still had their weapons aimed directly at him. Kise gotten bored as he waited for Kasamatsu to come back so he stood up and treaded over to one of the armed men. “Hey there.” But he only got a gun pointed at his head.

“Step away. Back to your seat, you monster.” The soldier said as he sneered at the blond man while both hands steadied the weapon in front.

“Man, that’s pretty rude of you. And I thought you humans had some manners to begin with.” Kise faked a frown while his eyes awakened with energy. “I guess not.” With quick reflexes, Kise knocked the gun to the side with his left and punched the soldier right in the face, knocking him out onto the ground.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!” A soldier cried out as he poured out his bullets at the shifter. Kise quickly dodged the incoming shots as he swiftly morphed into a crow. His wings carried him up and positioned to dive down, poking one of man’s eyes before heading to his next victim. He moved fast as he avoided the bullets, and with the men crying out in fear as they fell one by one, the blond man was nearing victory.

Only few soldiers remained and Kise changed back to his human form, walking over to the frightened man shaking in his place, but a hand grabbed the back of his collar and threw him on the floor with a loud thump. 

“What the-?!” He felt a cold metal band snapped around his neck in an instant and a beep after. The harsh steel eyes glared at him with an unamused look and arms crossed around his chest.

“Oh, you’re back captain!” Kise cheered up immediately and was about to stand, but the sudden electrical shock invaded his entire body, leaving him immobile. Kobari came into view with a remote control in hand, watching the young male squirming on the floor. Kise gritted his teeth together, holding in the pain as the electricity continue to torture him for several more minutes.

“Clean this mess up and take the wounded to the medical room.” Kobari stated to the remaining soldiers once he turned off the remote and they proceeded to help their fallen comrades. 

Kobari glared at Kise panting on the floor. “It would be in your best interest to stay obedient.” He then eyed at Kasamatsu. “Captain, we decided you are most eligible to teach him how things are done here. I know you’ll teach him well.” He dropped the remote in Kasamatsu’s hand before making his leave but Kasamatsu spoke before he turned.

“You can’t be serious about this. I request for a new partner then. I’ll fill out the papers if I have to.” 

“No, it’s already been decided. We came to the conclusion that he is the right candidate and will be proven useful to you in future missions. It is your job now to train him, teach him the ropes before we send you two out.”

“But-”

“That’s all for today.” Kobari nodded and walked out of the room. 

Kise turned and studied the look on Kasamatsu’s face. The captain looked deep in thought while staring at the control in his hand. With a tired sigh, he put it away and Kise caught him looking back at him.

“Thought it was a smart idea killing our guys, huh?” Kasamatsu’s eyebrows furrowed with annoyance.

With a tilt of his head to the side, Kise watched the movements of the soldiers carrying the injured away. “Not my fault when they call me a monster. Maybe it is them who needs some teaching…” He said with a small smile. “What do you think? Do I really look like one?” His ear perked upwards while his tail swayed side to side, trying to go for the more innocent look.

Kasamatsu paused for a second and finally said. “No. I’ve seen worse. And they weren’t like you, that’s for sure.” He extended a hand and Kise’s eyes grew to a shine.

“Captain is very kind.” The shifter grabbed his hand and got up. 

“How’re you feeling?” Kasamatsu asked.

“Could’ve been better.” Kise still felt the ghostly tingles lingering around his body, but casually ignored it as he wiped the unnecessary dust off his clothing. “So mind taking this off?” Kise pointed at the collar. 

“No.” 

Kise frowned, his ears pointed downwards. Just because he can shift into a dog doesn’t mean he had to be treated like one. “I’m not some kind of-”

“It’s how we operate. Hybrids working for Kaijo are required to wear them, to discipline or punish them if the situation gets out of hand.” Kasamatsu explained swiftly. “I would like to refrain from using this to be honest,” He gestured at the remote. “So don’t think about starting something like THAT again. If you decide to do so then you force my hand. Do we have an understanding?”

“Aye aye captain!” Kise gave a mock salute.

“Are you a child?” 

“I’m probably older than you so you’re the child here.”

“I highly doubt that.” Kasamatsu said disbelievingly. 

“Well, if you were a shifter like us then maybe you’ll believe then. We may look human but our age span is much different than yours. Don’t worry, I won’t cause any trouble for you…” Kise leaned forward and whispered into Kasamatsu’s ear. “…Kasamatsucchi.” He made sure to enunciate every syllable slowly while watching the man’s face contort uncomfortably. 

He felt a flick on his nose and yelped at the sudden pain. “Don’t tell me that really hurt.” Kasamatsu grinned before he started making his way out of the room. “Let’s go, we have a lot to go through.”

~*~

Kise soon woke to the feel of something shaking him from his slumber. He lightly groaned and slowly opened his eyes to Kasamatsu standing right in front of him. “Huh, what’s going on?” Did he slept more than necessary? He shot up, his senses on high alert once more. “Shit, how long did I slept for?”

The captain gently pressed Kise back to the wall while keeping a hand rested on his shoulder. “Not too long, it’s about four in the morning now. Go back to sleep and I’ll keep watch.”

“But you should be sleeping more.” The shifter tried to get up but Kasamatsu’s strength kept him from moving.

“I’m fine, you need it more than I do.” Kasamatsu added quietly and rubbed the top of Kise’s head before settling his hand behind an ear, stroking a favorite spot. “Sleep, I’ll let you know when it’s time.”

“Fine.” Kise let out a tiny whine despite enjoying the pleasant warmth on his head. “You know,” He added. “If you want, you can sleep with me. Got space between my legs and-OW!” He cringed as he felt a jab at his side. “Senpai!”

“What? I didn’t do anything.” Kasamatsu replied casually, though he couldn’t help but smile at him before heading outside. “Get some rest, Kise.”

“Hmph.” Kise curled up in his sleep and closed his eyes. Kasamatsu waited as soon Kise’s breathing became even and grabbed his own coat before draping it over his partner to keep him warm.

He stepped out and took a deep breath of fresh air before reaching the side of the house, spotting a ladder. He grabbed a hold of it and climbed to the roof top. Once on top, he glanced around and saw how quiet it was. It was a nice place, he thought. He envied for Kuroko living here with such a scene, with the land stretching out as the hills and green flats ran into the distance and into the woods. 

Kasamatsu started to worry, to be honest, he felt afraid of what was going to happen to them. He knew they were not fully equipped to handle this fight and with his one arm out of commission, he was a liability to Kise.

Did it mean he was going to die?

Obviously he didn’t want to. If shit goes down for the worse, he’d die for Kise’s sake and let him escape.. He wasn’t going to let his partner go back to Kaijou, there was nothing for him. They would brand him for death.

“Idiot.” Kasamatsu muttered to himself. It wasn’t the time to be all depressed and shit. He didn’t come up here to brood, more like take a chill pill and reminisce the good times. 

“Hey Kasamatsucchi!” The shifter appeared right next to Kasamatsu’s desk while he was reading the reports in his hand. 

“I told you not to call me that.” Kasamatsu sighed and rested his reading glasses on the table. “Well? What is it?”

“Look!” Kise took out a clear plastic bag filled with the necessary items to pierce an ear. There was a needle, rubbing alcohol, cotton ball, lighter, and a cork. He held the bag as if he was waiting for an approval while Kasamatsu was thrown off by his entire cheerful demeanor.

“And what do you want me to do with these?” He asked as he took the bag, inspecting the items. 

“Pierce my ear?” Kise pleaded. “Please?”

“What? I’m not doing that.” Kasamatsu quickly handed the bag back to Kise. “What even gave you that idea?”

“But! I heard people talking about piercing their ears before so I got curious! It looks pretty cool and they said it doesn’t hurt. One of the guys gave me what I needed, and said to talk to you about it!” Kise was excited, no doubt about that. He did little jumps like a child getting his first stuffed toy in front of Kasamatsu and begged. “Please? I rather have you do it than someone else.”

Kasamatsu groaned as he couldn’t believe that this was really happening. “Is this really necessary? I’m even surprised they let you take the needles. Worried that you might poke someone’s eye out again?” 

“They had someone follow me to your room so couldn’t do anything with them even if I wanted to. Now come on, I want to give it a shot.” Kise dragged Kasamatsu over to the bed as the poor captain tried to not stumble over his feet. They sat next to each other as Kise handed the bag over. He waited patiently, golden eyes excitedly staring for Kasamatsu to start. His hands folded over his lap with his thumbs twirling in unison.

Kasamatsu couldn’t even understand why this kid would even be excited for an ear pierce. He would have to talk to the guys about this later and give them a piece of his mind. He eventually gave into Kise’s whims as the blond haired male continued to look at him, anxiously waiting with hope in his eyes. “Okay, okay fine. You win. You do know you have to take care of it or it gets infected, right? I expect you to take responsibility.”

“Oh, I know. I got this in the bag. Senpai worries too much about me.”

“It is the captain’s job to worry about his men.” Kasamatsu declared. He opened the bag and missed the admired look worn on Kise’s face. He started with the lighter and sterilized the needle before wiping it entirely with a cotton ball of rubbing alcohol. After that, he cleansed the front and back of the shifter’s left earlobe, getting rid of unwanted germs. 

“You ready?” Kasamatsu asked as he placed the cork behind the ear and steadied the needle to the point of entry. 

“Always.” Kise remained still and not at least bit afraid.

“On the count of three. One… two…” and in an instant, he pierced the needle into the earlobe. 

“Ow!” The shifter’s happy demeanor turned to an immediate frown as he looked at Kasamatsu with watery eyes. “That-that hurts!”

“Oi, don’t move.” Kasamatsu gave the needle a few twists to widen the hole. “You got an earring on you?” He then focused on Kise’s face full of tears. “There’s nothing to cry about, it’s a small pinch. I thought you were a man, you big baby.” He ended with a smirk.

Kise took a studded pearl earring and gave it to Kasamatsu. “It hurts. I don’t like the pain, and you didn’t count to three. What kind of man are YOU?”

The captain beamed a grin. “I’m sorry, waiting for three took too long and I thought I’d speed up the process since you were very excited to get one.” The earring was put into place and he sanitized the area once more.

“There, now I’ll do your right ear.” Kasamatsu moved to the right side but Kise bolted off the bed, giving a ‘no, do not want’ motion with his hands.

“No-no. I’m good really. One is enough for me.” Kise quickly went to the bathroom and looked at the stud, giving it a twirl between his fingers. 

“If you say so.” Kasamatsu placed all the items back in the bag and placed it on bed. He headed over and watched Kise’s pleasant look as he fondled the earring. “It looks good on you though you should leave it alone for the time being.” 

“D-does it really?” Kise looked at him in the mirror with a small gasp.

“It does.”

Kise squealed in response. “You’re the best, Kasamatsucchi.” He turned to embrace Kasamatsu into his chest, his face snuggling against the latter’s shoulder.

Kasamatsu rubbed the taller male’s back while hiding the small fond expression he had for his partner. He may be handful at times but it didn’t really matter to him. The time they spent together had always been pleasant.

~*~

“Hey, Atsushi...” Himuro said as he rested against the tree trunk while he did some light reading on his electronic pad. On screen shown multiple data entries on both Kise Ryouta and Kasamatsu Kasamatsu, listing their past works on the field along with a breakdown of their individual traits and abilities. 

Murasakibara looked up from his resting spot on Himuro’s lap and gave a loud yawn. “Muro-chin should be sleeping now.”

“I will,” Himuro replied as his eyes moved side to side, reading the text on the lit screen. “I’m almost done. What do you think-”

“Sleep.” The purple haired giant commanded as he took the pad out of Himuro’s grip, and placed it underneath his own body while keeping it safe without damaging it against his own weight.

“Hey, don’t do that…” But it was already too late. Himuro sighed as he saw that victory look on Murasakibara’s face. “Fine, fine. Goodnight, Atsushi.” He relented and pulled the jacket over him before succumbing to sleep. Once the shifter saw Himuro closed his eyes, he too joined him in deep slumber before bidding him a quiet goodnight.

~*~

Aomine and Kuroko stayed the next town over, both settling themselves into a cheap motel they could find after asking someone for some directions. They were tired, mostly Kuroko who was the one who suggested to find a place to stay once they passed the small gates to town. Once they booked a room, the shifter suggested to get some rest while he kept watch, in case he saw anyone suspicious tailing after them. He would take them out immediately once he spotted any of Akashi’s men, he said.

Hours passed into the late night and Kuroko’s quietly slept while Aomine listened to the steady breathing, giving him a sense of peace. He kept his gaze out the window, watching the streets down below still thriving with people venturing out from different street corners. Nothing looked out of the ordinary so he made the decision to go to bed, rest up a bit before resuming the travels again.

Aomine carefully sat on the bed, making sure he doesn’t wake Kuroko up but he saw how small eyes fluttered to an open, the glassy rounds looking at him tiredly. “Mmm, wh-what time is it?” Kuroko uttered out in groggy tone and shuffled in his sheets to fully face the panther-shifter. 

“It’s almost four, go back to sleep.” Aomine replied and laid his head right next to Kuroko’s. He brushed a few hairs back, receiving a sleepy smile from Kuroko.

“Okay.” Kuroko muttered a tiny goodnight and curled up against Aomine’s front. He drifted to a deep sleep while Aomine wrapped an arm around the smaller man’s waist, and he too succumb to the dark.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another update for all you readers out there! I'm on a roll but after this, I might go back to Heavenly Blue.
> 
> I also need to state that Midorima/Takao will be mentioned later on in story (Not right now since I haven't thought through on what to do with them. Them escaping wasn't an option but I will think more on it??)
> 
> Work is not beta.

“Will he find us when we’re so far away?”

“He’s got a good sense of smell so probably. You worried?”

“I’m not. I know he’ll come. He promised after all.”

“Duh. I’ll tell you when I sense that mutt close by. You know I got great hearing and all.”

“Thank you.”

**I.**

Perhaps it was the last dream Kise might ever have or maybe when the night would greet him once more, he would sleep and he would be swept away into a world breathing of life. He desired for clear skies and valleys of baby blue eyes spread far and wide and the calming winds sweeping through his hairs like a lover’s touch. He would watch the tiny petals dance in the air and land in his partner’s hair and he would pull them out like a scene played out of a cheesy romance novel. 

But he wouldn’t mind if he listen to him playing his guitar again, creating a melody worthy of an audience. He always played for him when he requested, but in the beginning it took a bit of convincing to get him back into it.

It was a day like any other coming back from their mission but this time Kise was injured. He received a bullet in the shoulder and the doctor had to fetch the metal out. Once done, Kasamatsu took him back to his room and had him take his bed while he went to fetch some items to clean him up.

With a basin full of hot water, Kasamatsu squeezed the wet towel and cleaned up the grime and blood on Kise’s front. “How’re you feeling?” 

“I’m alright, just a bit exhausted and my bandages are really itchy.” He whined and went to touch them but Kasamatsu smacked his hand immediately.

“Leave it alone and let it heal. You should get some sleep, you had a long day today.” Kasamatsu wiped the remaining blood off and took the basin and towel back to the bathroom. “Good job, by the way. Kobari thought you did exceptional on your marks and he doesn’t praise shifters very often.” 

“Is that so?” Kise responded with a raised brow. While Kasamatsu retreated to the kitchen, he spotted an instrument resting against the wooden desk. Once the captain came back, he asked him about that particular item.

“It’s a guitar. I used to play it when I was younger.”

“Oh, how about now? You must be pretty good at it.”

“Nah, I barely touched it. Haven’t tuned this baby in years, mostly because I had no time or reason to.”

“Well you have some time now?” Kise started to move from the bed but Kasamatsu flicked his dog ear as punishment. “Kasamatsucchi!” His ears bent lowly while sporting a frown. “I want to hear you play, please?” He pleaded but was met with an automatic no. If he won’t play for him then he would have to find a way to make him say yes. 

He did everything he could to get Kasamatsu’s approval. He would fetch him breakfast and clean up their room. He even tidied the bed and actually put the dirty clothes in the hamper instead of casually dropping them on the floor as if it wasn’t his room. He even gave him some shoulder massages after work, but he had a feeling Kasamatsu was enjoying this too much when he politely asked for more. Kise went to double his score at the shooting range, passing his teammates by a mile, and polished all of the captain’s weapons but he only received words of appreciation. Not one single yes to play the guitar. 

Nothing was working. He had to change tactics.

He cornered Kasamatsu one night and they both tumbled on the bed, moaning between heated kisses while stripping each other of their clothes. Kise fucked Kasamatsu until he was full of his seed before allowing the captain to take charge for the rest of the night. 

He wasn’t allowed to come without Kasamatsu’s permission. He was painfully hard and desperately burying himself on Kasamatsu’s fingers while pleading for his cock inside him. Eventually he got what he wanted and they both passed out. 

Kasamatsu was the first to wake up hours later. 

“You know I was planning on playing it for you,” Kasamatsu put his pants back on and went to grab his guitar before coming back to bed. “Before this happened. I couldn’t decide on a song but you were quite adamant on me saying yes so I waited to see how to see how far you’ll go.”

“Well, I worked really hard, y’know? Did everything I could and you received a nice bonus in the end too.” Kise smiled and planted himself next to Kasamatsu.

“Despite your horny side, yeah… you worked very hard. Harder than all of us.” Kasamatsu tuned his instrument while strumming a few strings to get the right notes. Once he settled for something acceptable, he started with a slow melody and played until his fingers tire. Throughout the song, Kise leaned on Kasamatsu’s side while listening to the comforting tune.

“It sounds really nice.” He let out before nuzzling into Kasamatsu’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

With the incessant nudging against his shoulder, Kise batted whatever was touching him and curled up in a ball but the voice alerted him to wake up. His eyes shot open and saw Kasamatsu.

“Is it,” Kise yawned and rubbed his eyes adjusting to the morning light. “Morning already?”

“Yeah.” Kasamatsu responded. Kise hummed and looked at Kasamatsu, noticing the anxious expression he wore. 

“What’s wrong?”

“We got company-” Kasamatsu jumped, his back flat to the walls as a shot broke through the wooden chair and landed on the ground closed to where his foot was before. “Shit, they’re here too early.” He quickly made sure his weapons were on him before eyeing at Kise who looked ready to fight.

“Man, they sure pick the right time. We’ll show them how we do things around here, give them the ‘ol-umm, what do you call it? Razzle dazzle?”

Kasamatsu stifled a laugh. “Yeah that’s right. Don’t start singing that song please. Let’s finish this fast and take them out.”

“And Kurokocchi is waiting for us, right? He’s probably sad that we’re not there yet.” The blond grinned as his reptilian claw-like hands ached for a fight. He fisted his hand, hearing the satisfying crack in his bones while he took a deep breath. 

“We shouldn’t waste time then.” Kasamatsu rested his good hand over Kise’s and gave a firm squeeze. Kise moved until their fingers intertwined with one another.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Kise replied somberly. “What are your orders, captain?”

The loud shattering sounds of glass were heard and painful grunts came from the front entrance. “Go take care of that and avoid any windows if you can. I’ll take care of the sniper, get him off your tail.”

Kise’s raised a brow while Kasamatsu scoffed, already knowing what he was thinking. “I wasn’t trying to be funny. Now go and stay safe. Come to me when you’re done.”

Before the captain took his leave, Kise grasped his captain’s head and immediately placed a quick kiss on the lips before pulling back. “For good luck.”

Kasamatsu’s cheeks turned pink. “Damn it, Kise. Now get your ass out there!” And with that, the two parted swiftly before another shot was fired.

**II.**

The sniper over the hill kept his eye on them as he looked through his scope, firing every shot possible but with the walls and fortified areas where they used to be windows, it was not an easy task. In fact, it was frustrating but once his targets were gone, he pressed the communication link in his ear. “Atsushi, my shots aren’t going through. Keep a lookout, one is probably coming to you right now. I’ll take care of the other.”

_Hmm. Okay, Muro-chin. I can eat this one, right? That’s what you promised me._

“Yes I did. Do as you like with him.” Himuro ended the communication and checked his scope once more but nothing appeared in his radar. They were avoiding the windows, a smart move on their part but it won’t last long. Divide and conquer, it was the most obvious plan.

He heard a gunshot and faltered close to the ground. “You’re close but you got to try harder.” He raised his head and studied his surroundings but no sign of his target though the small wall of flames were growing upwards as the winds carried the fire, climbing up the hill and leaving the dark burns in its wake.

Himuro growled in frustration as he backed away, taking out his own handgun. “You think a little fire will stop me?!” He cried out. “You won’t win with that kind of strategy!” He moved away from the growing fire and took aim when he heard a sound coming from his right. False alarm. 

His eyes widened when he saw a small grenade thrown into the air and jolted to his left, away from the soon-to-be explosion. He jumped and rolled away safely from the grenade as the clumps of dirt and shreds of the ground rained from the air.

Himuro cursed silently to himself from the ringing in his ears, couldn’t hear a damn thing. He didn’t expect to hear the incoming steps and felt a kick into his chest. He let out a grunt and rolled away until he recovered, standing upright to stare at the panting captain in a fighting stance. His own gun taken away and thrown away.

“What’s the matter? Got the first hit on you, that’s one hell of a strategy if you ask me.” Kasamatsu moved forward with careful steps with a blade in his right hand. Himuro took note of the arm in a sling, perhaps he can use that to his advantage. No doubt Kasamatsu was thinking the same thing.

“Captain Kasamatsu Kasamatsu from the 4th Squad, a man full of ambitions and skills, also considered to be the most valuable asset to his team. Your leadership is quite known and respected, even your teammates spoke highly of you. And-” 

“You read my biography, congrats. I rather not waste my time with you.”

“I respected you, captain. I had hope you would come back, it would’ve lessened your punishment and he would’ve given you a second chance.”

“Shut up. Don’t waste my time with your sugar-coated words. We both know I was already dead whether I came back or not. I don’t need a child telling me what I already figured out.”

“A child? You are mistaken if you think-”

“I know who you are and personally I don’t give a damn. I have no words to waste with you.”

“Fine, if that’s your wish then I’ll grant it.” Himuro took his own switchblade from the insides of his boot and flicked it until a blade appeared. He sprinted forward with aim, trying to attack at Kasamatsu’s weak point but Kasamatsu’s fast reflexes kept him alive as he blocked every hit with his own. He kept the captain on the defense as he continued to push him back. 

“Is this all you got? I thought you were better than this.” Himuro huffed a reply as his attacks were often blocked against. His opponent didn’t seem worn out while he was trying to get past his defenses. Hit after hit and nothing was going through. Why?

Himuro’s thoughts distracted him for a second and Kasamatsu took the opportunity to lunge forward and made a horizontal slash. Kasamatsu managed to cut across Himuro’s chest and followed up with another thrust forward but Himuro saw to the captain’s plan and moved to the side, disarming the man’s weapon and sent him on his back, a boot settling on top of Kasamatsu’s bad arm. Himuro could hear his cries as he struggled to push the weight off. He added more force and watched Kasamatsu sweating bullets from the overwhelming pain.

“What the?!” Himuro yelled out a string of curses as the knife imbedded itself in his foot while Kasamatsu backed away and gained back his standing. He should’ve expected he was hiding something in his sling. 

“Careful now, I think you’re losing your touch or I’m just quite prepared.” Kasamatsu chuckled tiredly as he expertly balanced the knife between his fingers like magic. 

**III.**

Kise carefully stayed away from the windows and remained hidden from the enemy inside the house. Once he heard the explosion, he looked out between the barricades of furniture and saw the fire. He took the chance and moved, hoping the sniper was stopped.

Every step he took was carefully calculated as he made sure to step over the areas of broken glass and chunks of wood. He heard the stomps of large feet moving to the kitchen and hid behind a wall while hearing the click of a nail gun automatically firing but the noise stopped as it was smashed into pieces.

Kise looked out and saw how the nails were sticking into the muscular arm, belonging to a fearsome fighter of the arena. The male figure seemed to pay no mind to the nails and Kise knew he had end his battle quickly. Murasakibara was not known to be put down easily. Everyone in the arena knew how strong he was and his insatiable desire to eat meat of his own people. In the beginning, Murasakibara was not a voracious eater in that department but Yosen’s doctors, he suspected, changed his way of eating.

Rumors began floating around about Murasakibara’s eating habits. He ate his enemies after he defeated them and news spread fast throughout the arena, instilling fear in some of the hybrids while others found it only false, a technique to make people feel fear while there was no actual ‘cannibal’. They were wrong. Murasakibara ate without feeling full and always asked for more.

A pity he had to be one to deal with him. Kise shuddered to think any further and prayed he wasn’t going to be on Murasakibara’s menu for breakfast. He liked to remain whole, thank you very much. He ran down the hall with his black claws extended and jumped, but the giant turned, readying his right arm to slam into Kise. 

“Too slow!” 

With a quick grab of the incoming arm, Kise maneuvered himself over it like an acrobat on a pole and left a cut against the skin. He landed behind him before Murasakibara turned around, leaving multiple scratches on his back. The arm came at the shifter again but it missed, and destroyed the kitchen storages in the process. Kise scratched his claws in thought. It should be enough but it didn’t seem to be affecting him. Surely his poison was as potent as possible?

“Hey…” Murasakibara felt his back and saw the blood on his fingertips. “That’s mean.” He eyed the blood on his arm with indifference. “And that itches. I will kill you for this and eat you for my snack.” His entire body started changing, his human skin buried away while his brown furry hairs risen with a rich shine of purple mixed in. He settled on all fours and growled at Kise while deep amethyst eyes stared straight at him, sending Kise in a bit of a fright.

Bears. Fucking bears, he disliked them a lot.

Murasakibara charged at Kise, destroying anything that got in his way. With the traps sprung around the house, the rampaging tank refused to back down or it had no effect. Kise led him up the staircase before doing a backflip with a large knife in hand and stabbed him. What he didn’t expect was a massive weight crushing into his chest, pinning him into the wall with severe cracks behind him.

“Fuck!” Kise gasped at the sudden loss of air. He even heard an amused snort from the bear’s mouth and shit, that wasn’t fucking funny. Kise retaliated as he bit a chunk of Murasakibara’s hide as he became a half-lion just so he can gnaw the back skin right off with his razor teeth. 

The deafening roar filled the house and the pressure on Kise immediately disappeared, giving him free room to move. “Ugh, you taste horrible.” He spat the flesh out with disgust and bolted up the stairs and into one of the rooms.

He wiped the sweat from his face and fumbled for the two grenades in his pocket. Good, they were still there. 

“Damn it,” He suddenly moaned as he fell to his knees. He touched his chest as he slowly breathed in, but the sharp jolt of pain hit him hard. “Alright, that’s not good but it’s fine… not a problem.” He endured it and stood, hoping his plan would work. “C’mon, you overgrown teddy bear. I’m right here.” He gripped the grenades firmly in hand and brushed a finger against the pin.

The entire entrance to the room was ripped apart and Murasakibara came in charging towards Kise, crying out a mighty roar.

“Yeah, that’s it. Come at me, fluffy.” Kise held his ground and once the bear got closer, he side-stepped but the bear’s jaw clamped on his right arm with the grenades. Kise flinched as he felt one of the large incisors buried right inside. “Damn, got me good there, I’ll give you that.” Before Murasakibara could finish the job, his free arm threw the grenades in the air and tried to lift the bear’s jaw. “I need that arm!” When he got enough room, his whole arm shifted into a tentacle and slipped away with a few teeth marks. 

Kise caught the grenades as his arm turned back human. He scampered to the other side of the room, closer to where the window was. He could smell his own blood as he clutched the wound to stop it despite the already damp feeling in his sleeve. “Why-why are you doing this? Why go through all this work just for the life of two? You can leave us alone, find your own meal somewhere else.”

The animal answered with a low grunt and reverted back to his secondary form. Throughout his body, Kise could spot the damages he had done and proud of them, that he was. He caught the twitching movement of Murasakibara’s fingers and knew the poison was working its way in his system. 

“Hn. Muro-chin said it was our mission to kill you two. You ran away and we’re here for you. It’s simple as that.” 

“What do you gain out of this? You can go back and tell them we’re dead. Or you ate me or something.”

“He promised me that I can eat you, Muro-chin doesn’t break promises.”

“Go back and eat some poor soul then!” Kise cried out frustratingly. He was hit with a rack of coughs and he covered his mouth. His eyes glanced at the faint spat of blood and damned his ribs to hell. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I follow Muro-chin. Where he goes I go.”

“Do you love him?” The blond shifter finally asked. His eyes grew a bit somber because he remembered all too well when he discovered his feelings for his captain.

Murasakibara paused in his answer and looked at Kise confusingly with a tilt of his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Maybe… maybe you don’t understand it but the feeling is there. Maybe your heart starts to beat fast when you’re close to him. The feeling of staying by his side and see where he takes you. When he makes those faces, you wonder if you can see them again. You start to see the small things he does and you might find cute.” Kise chuckled to himself. “You like the way he praises you and gives you a sense of belonging. You and I were never meant to mingle with humans but here we are, stuck like glue.”

“Perhaps it’s not love for you but there’s something.” Kise added with a hint of earnest and ended with that. The silence grew between them while he tried to figure what was Murasakibara thinking. The look in those hardened eyes reminded him of an empty canvas.

“You are a confusing one.” The bear shifter uttered. “I will crush you and eat away your body until you are nothing.”

Murasakibara darted forward until he fully transformed. It was fine, Kise saw this coming. He held his ground for a moment, watching the beast getting closer though his movements seemed to be slower than last.

“Sorry I got to do this to you but someone is waiting for me.”

It was a stupid idea. He knew that already, but when he decided to have a 1,000 plus pound bear coming at you, he mentally regretted this. 

He unpinned both grenades right before the bear pummeled right into him, clasping his jaw tightly onto Kise’s shoulder as they both were flung out the window. Ignoring the pain flaring in his right shoulder and the fear of losing his entire shoulder and arm, Kise lodged the two explosives deep in the bear’s mouth before it could finish him off.

“Goodbye.”

Murasakibara dislodged his hold, the scared looked in his eyes became clear as glass, but Kise took his only chance to fly back as far as his wings took him. His feathered wings covered himself as the grenades exploded.

He didn’t stay up long and landed poorly on the ground in the direction where Kasamatsu was at. He breathed tiredly and coughed out more blood. He could make this trek, he wasn’t going to let a few ribs broken ribs slow him down. With a step forward, he slowly made his way as he ignored the alerts of his brain constantly telling him to rest.

Once he got some distance from the house, Kise called out Kasamatsu’s name over and over in quiet whispers. When he finally saw a familiar outline, his sunflower-colored eyes widened and felt a drowning sensation swallowing him up. He forced his legs to push onward and clenched his teeth every time he moved. It wasn’t happening, it was a lie. A cruel trick to the eyes.

There was blood. So much red.

The sniper held an almost-lifeless body of Kasamatsu by the arm. Kasamatsu lifted his head and looked at Kise, gracing him with a fleeting smile. His mouth moved but Kise couldn’t make it out. There was no time. His eyes enlarged as the body was released and he forced himself to run. Kise caught Kasamatsu in his arms, holding him tightly as if Kasamatsu was going to break.

Himuro spoke a few words to him but Kise didn’t respond or listen as he settled Kasamatsu comfortably, allowing him to rest upwardly on his chest, close to his rapidly beating heart. Kise cradled his partner’s head with tenderness, stroking the bruised face carefully before moving down, inspecting the bleeding.

“Hold on, bear with me here.” He ripped a part of his shirt and held it over the wound, adding pressure to stop the bleeding but the white material became soaked with blood fast. “Shit, you’re losing too much blood.”

“Ah-hah, hey there.” Kasamatsu managed to speak as he struggled to look up. “You look like sh-shit.”

Kise immediately shushed him. “Don’t speak, we have to get you help. You hear me? You need a blood transfusion, I’ll get you to a hospital. It’s-it’s my duty protect you…” He choked on his words, his eyes turned watery. He couldn’t cry in front of him, not here. Not now. He had to keep it together. He bit his lips and swallowed, but a tear fell.

“-hat y-you talking about, you idiot?” Kasamatsu grinned slightly as his free hand came to hold Kise’s cheek. His thumb wiping the droplet away before another one touched his skin. “It’s…” He let out cough before he continued. “It’s okay, Kise. I’m fine, you’re here now so it’s alright.”

“What you talking about? You’re dying,” Kise shuddered a breath and cracked a sob. “Don’t…” 

Don’t leave me.

Kasamatsu closed his eyes. “I know I am. Sorry for fucking it up.” 

Kise shook his head. There was no reason for him to apologize, he wasn’t the one who messed up. “No, I was the one who screwed up. I could’ve been there for you when you needed help. You wouldn’t be in this situation if I came to you sooner!”

“I slipped up. You’ve done nothing wrong, you did what you had to do. You did your best, I know you did.” Kasamatsu gazed at Kise and the shifter knew he didn’t have a lot of time left. “You’re a crybaby from the very start when I pierced your ear.” His voice faltering every little bit as he continued.

“Y-yeah.” Kise sniffled, burying his head into Kasamatsu’s hair. “So what?” He felt a hand slowly moving his way up to stroke his yellow tresses.

“Will you,” He swallowed. “Will you smile for me?” 

Kise wiped away his tears and mumbled along the lines of ‘of course I will’. He clenched his teeth together and gave his best smile only reserved for his captain. 

“Ah, there’s that face I fell in love with.”

His hand fell limp to the side and eyes wavered to a close as the light in them disappeared. A final breath escaped his lips and Kise became filled with grief and pain. The agony felt like rips in his chest as he held Kasamatsu tightly while his body shook with immense suffering. “Kasamatsucchi...” He repeated.

Then a gun barrel settled right against his head.

“Why shed tears when you’ll join him soon enough?” Himuro said and Kise stared at him, fearless in his bones. He didn’t look good himself. His left arm was broken and his stance staggered from an open bullet wound on his left leg while his right side bandaged tightly with white strips. Blotches of red soaked through them. Either he was shot or stabbed but Kise couldn’t tell. There were bruises upon his body, some looking worse than others. Kise found it slightly amusing when he spotted a nice black eye to go with it.

“Before you kill me, answer this. Don’t you shed tears for your partner? I was the one who killed him.”

“It’s not necessary. There will be others to replace him, we have a lot at our disposal after all.”

“You have a sense of humor there.”

“I don’t believe I was trying to be funny.”

“Hah, don’t lie to me. You felt something for him. Your eyes said so themselves.” Kise said, taking in the small victory. 

Himuro lowered his eyes while pointing the gun at the blond male. “You know nothing. Atsushi had no purpose. He’d wandered aimlessly and bored because nothing interest him, but I took him in. He acted like a baby but it took patience and time until he fully understood the means of living. He reminded me of a puppy,” Himuro continued, “He always followed me everywhere I went as if I could entertain him. He didn’t say much but he was there when I needed…” Himuro halted, the small realization written all over his face gave Kise what he wanted to know.

Kise noticed the small frown on Himuro’s face and he could hear the frail contact of a finger over the trigger. He wanted to tell him he was sorry. Sorry for everything that has happened and how unfair it was for all of us but now it was over, it ended before it could begin.

He took one final look at his captain and perhaps they would meet again in the next life. 

“I win.”

Bang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry but I'm sure some of you already expected this to happen. I didn't want to at first but I feel it had to happen because that's what reality is in this universe. It's meant to be unfair.
> 
> And when I think more about these characters, they all have a different concept of love or what their relation is to it.
> 
> Aomine/Kuroko - A future.
> 
> Kise/Kasamatsu - Tragedy
> 
> Himuro/Murasakibara - Unfamiliar
> 
> Something along those lines and now I will sit here and be sad. Thank you for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stated this on my tumblr so I'll copy it here so please read!
> 
> "This is probably a silly announcement to make but after I update Thunderclap, I’m putting that and Heavenly Blue on a temporary hiatus until inspiration hits again. I literally don’t have anything left to write for them and everything that I’d planned out in the past, it’s already written. I think I’ll go focus on TDWLN or any one-shots I wanna try OR you guys can send me some prompts and I can play with the ideas. I’ll post them here and AO3. Really sorry to disappoint, but thank you to those who read them".
> 
> I honestly don't know when I'll continue or not. Hope you enjoy this chapter, at least!

The grip on his gun loosened, letting the metal fall right beside him with a _thud_. Those final words Kise spoke to him about Atsushi became so vividly clear in his mind, what he realized at the last moment, well… it was too late to do anything now.

Himuro chuckled and grimaced at the sharp pain from his wounds. Kise was right, he would give him that much. 

He gave one last look at Kasamatsu and Kise and sent them a silent prayer, hoping they were at peace together before he slowly limped his way where Atushi’s body was. When he saw what was left of his partner, he settled himself on the cool grass carefully, his body exhausted from the fight.

“Atsushi, if only I noticed it before…” There wasn’t much to be said, Atsushi can’t hear him after all.

Himuro shut his eyes and the calming breeze combined with the scent of newly grown flowers swept over him.

Who knew how long he stayed there for, but he woke to the small sounds of incoming steps. He remembered he didn’t have his gun on him but from the corner of his eye, he saw Rakuzan’s leader stopped right next to him, calming his nerves down. 

“I didn’t think you would be here, sir.” Himuro looked up and readied to stand in respect.

“I thought I’d visit before I take a trip to town.” Akashi responded as he eyed at him. “Sit down, don’t overexert yourself. There will be a helicopter to take you back to Yosen.”

Himuro nodded, grateful for the help. “Thank you.” He stretched his good leg out while the other rested against the slightly cooled ground. 

“Perhaps it was my fault for letting this happen when all of this could’ve be avoided.” Akashi said.

“What do you mean?” Himuro couldn’t tell what Akashi was thinking, but to hear him admitting his own fault came quite a shock.

“The relationship between us and the shifters. I allowed Captain Kasamatsu’s relationship without thinking of the consequences. At first, I believed it would prove beneficial to have the shifter become dedicated, submitting to him but Kise proved me wrong.” His chromatic eyes looked downward at the corpse in front of him. “This idea of love destroyed what I created.”

Himuro didn’t speak as he noticed the way Akashi looked at Atsushi.

“A loss for Kaijou but easily replaceable. I wonder who’ll fit with Kobori’s team and their new captain…” Akashi turned his head at him. “It pleases me this situation didn’t progress any further, don’t you think?” As if Himuro expected his relationship with Atsushi to come into fruit, but he would not speak a word. It wasn’t necessary. 

“I agree, if only we didn’t lose Kasamatsu in the process. He was a leader with many skills inside and outside of Kaijou. He proved worthy of the title to be called captain.”

Akashi hummed in agreement. “A great loss. You’ll be given a new partner once you are fit again. A shame we had to lose Atsushi, he had high potential and was one of our top fighters as well. I imagined our audience will be quite upset about this once they find out.”

“I have no doubts on that.”

A helicopter appeared into view and landed near them. The door slid open and a medical team came out with a stretcher. They helped Himuro onto it with care as he flinched at instances when there was a bit of movement going on, irritating his wounds to life.

“Take care of yourself, I would hate to see you in this condition again.” Akashi patted Himuro’s shoulder.

“Before I go, I have a request,” It would be best, Himuro imagined. “Please burn Atsushi and the others.”

“Out of pity for them?”

“They fought and died in the end. I asked this out of respect for them and a goodbye.”

“I see.” Akashi paused as Himuro waited what felt a long time. “You have my word.” Akashi suddenly said, stunning the trainer as his eyes widened with shock. Akashi gave the signal for Himuro to be taken to the helicopter.

The snake shifter, Mayuzumi, came and helped the personnel with getting the stretcher on board, and indicated at the pilot to take off before he jumped out to meet with his owner.

The helicopter took off into the air and flew back to its destination.

“Did you have a nice walk?” Mayuzumi asked casually as he gazed at his surroundings.

“I did, you should’ve joined me. The weather today is beautiful.” Akashi ended lightly and glimpsed at the wreckage of the small house. “See if you can find anything inside. I need information on who lived there and factor in the possibility that Daiki left with this person and where they might be now. Also, inform of the others to keep an eye out for them. If anyone spots them, they are to bring them back. Use any necessary force.”

“Right away. You don’t plan on killing him though? I see no point in keeping him alive. He’ll just make trouble for us again.”

“And waste such talent? Don’t be a fool, punishment will be done to those who defy me.” Akashi added a smile and started heading along the dirt road leading into town. “I will come back later and please take the remaining bodies into the house.”

.

“Yo Furihata!” Koganei greeted as he entered the shop, sporting a paper bag in hand and a black backpack behind him. “How’s it going? It’s been a while since I’ve last seen you.”

“It really is!” Furihata responded excitingly as he dropped the set of boxes down and came over, curiously looking at what his friend was holding.

“Oh, this?” Koganei held the bag in front of him. “I thought I get us some lunch since I was in the neighborhood. Hope you like omurice and fruit tarts for dessert.” He set the bag on the desk, avoiding knocking over any of Furihata’s papers. 

Furihata’s eyes twinkled as he was given the bag. He opened and saw the set of sweets with fresh fruit toppings and cream. “Wow, thanks Koganei. They look really good.”

“No prob, let’s eat!”

They ate their lunch in peace, Koganei mostly filling details after he left Furihata’s shop. He went into the city to work as a photographer for a year before traveling around, taking pictures once every day. He always had his camera on him and never missed a day without taking a shot.

“Oh! I want to take a picture of us before I forget.”

“Yeah, go ahead.” Furihata smiled. “Who knows when you’re coming back. I might be gone by the time you come back.” He slightly frowned, thinking of the years he had left until it was time to close the store.

He heard a gasp from his friend and felt himself shake back and forth. “Wh-what?!”

“Don’t say that!” Koganei was immediately distraught. “If you’re worried about business…”

Furihata shook his head and waved a hand so he wouldn’t worry his friend. “No, no. It’s not that. I was just joking. Sorry…” He let out a few laughs to lighten the mood but he noticed Koganei looked a bit suspicious. “I’m serious, I’ll still be here so cheer up and take my picture already before I say no.” He finished with a smirk.

“Aye aye!” Koganei got the camera out of his backpack and readied it. He settled an arm around Furihata and extended his arm out with his index finger on the snap button. “Great big smile now. Say cheese!” 

They both smiled as widely as they could and said ‘cheese’ before the camera snapped the picture. 

“Let me see.” Furihata requested and Koganei showed how the picture came out. They were clearly happy, longtime friends finally re-united after what felt like an eternity. He couldn’t ask for a better friend. One who helped him with the store from the start and supported him through tough times because face it, he didn’t know how to run a business. Well, neither did Koganei but it slowly transitioned into something that honed his skills.

“You better not lose this or I’ll come kick your butt.” Furihata glared, giving the intimidating look but it didn’t work on Koganei at all.

“Hah! Bring it on!” 

The door suddenly opened, the bell above rang alerting the two. They look at the newcomer and in that moment, Furihata froze in place as if he felt his heart stopped beating and the world around him cracked little by little.

The unmistakable red hair and haunting eyes, he never thought he would see him again so soon. Furihata simply swallowed and looked at Koganei, trying to steady his own breathing and not stutter from his own words. “Umm, I think it’s time to get going. You have work, r-right? And I have work too…” He looked at Akashi once more and instantly gripped his hands tightly, feeling the sweat on his palms.

“Oh…” Koganei muttered out as he looked at Furihata and the new guy curiously. “Umm, I guess so. I’ll leave you to your work then.” He started to pack up. “Heh, I’ll see if I can stop by again soon so you better be here or else! It’s good to see you again, Furihata.” 

Koganei embraced Furihata and he did the same, wishing that can meet again. They pulled back as his friend bid a wave. “Later!” He walked and muttered an ‘excuse me’ at Akashi before he left the store.

Furihata focused on Akashi and sucked in a breath of air. It was going to be fine, he would endure like always. “What’re you doing here?”

“Would you think poorly of me if I simply wanted to see how you’re fairing?” Akashi inched forward, step by step but Furihata didn’t feel safe to be so close to him. He backed away.

“I’m doing well so leave…” He was shaking in place.

“Kouki,” Akashi stood in front of him until Furihata had his back against the wooden desk. “I missed you. It’s been a long time.”

So gentle and kind, but not anymore. Furihata refused to fall into Akashi’s trap.

“Don’t start this…” He growled, baring his set canine teeth at Akashi. “Leave, I’m still staying here. You promised you’d ‘honor our agreement’, didn’t you? I said I would come back in three years.”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. I always kept my promises, only to you.” Akashi touched the strands of chocolate brown, leaving Furihata with his eyes closed and shuddered just a bit as he felt a hand stroke a cheek. “Unless you change your mind-”

“No!” Furihata whacked the hand away but Akashi immediately grabbed it before he can pull away. “Let go of me.” But somehow he couldn’t. He immediately stayed still while staring the way Akashi thumbed the surface of his knuckles before placing a kiss upon them.

“I’m rather fond of your company.” Akashi spoke gently to him. The patience in his eyes and the sincerity in his voice. He remembered it all.

A part of him did like Akashi in the past. Akashi found him trying to break into a building with his skills in lock picking. Furihata had no family or anyone to depend on, he was alone and he survived. Akashi took him in. He cared for him, gave him warmth and food, enough to live but trusting him proved difficult. Furihata, after all, was a dachshund shifter and knew well enough what Akashi was running. 

Furihata refused to watch his own kind fight against each other. He hated violence. Akashi never forced him or made him fight in the arena. Furihata stayed away from it so Akashi gave him a job, to make a variety of restraints and suppressors for other divisions besides Rakuzan. Akashi figured if he had the skills to break into a lock, maybe he can also create a unique set of them. Aomine’s manacles became one of the results. Months passed as Furihata settled in but it felt wrong to stay. It wasn’t right to be living the ‘good’ life while the shifters who were locked in cages and mistreated suffered.

But Akashi made him forget and treated him like he was the only one who mattered in this world. He would shower him with gifts and Furihata believed every word he said. His heart told him that maybe _they_ can work things out but it didn’t. The many nights he spent in Akashi’s bed and the days that passed, he wasn’t happy. He grew to hate it.

So Furihata asked and begged for Akashi to let him go, but Akashi wouldn’t allow it.

He then proposed the idea to give him some freedom, away from Rakuzan. Three years and he would come back but Akashi had his own terms, he would be the one to choose where Furihata stayed and be monitored. Furihata wasn’t allowed to leave and tell anyone about it, but just in case, Akashi gave the order to have a chip installed inside Furihata’s arm so Akashi knew where he was at all times.

The agreement was made. 

For the past two years, he ran his small business but he knew the days were counting down until it was time to end the temporary peace.

“Tell me why you’re here.” Furihata managed to ask as his hand was released.

“I noticed you received my letters but you never wrote back.” Akashi looked at the few of the letters lying on Furihata’s desk. It seemed he didn’t manage to put all of them away when Kuroko and Aomine came.

“Why are you here?” 

With a sigh, Akashi stated. “You let the panther go, Kouki. Did you not think I would find out about this?”

Furihata made the shackles. He implemented his own style into it so how would Akashi know?

“You’re confused, of course. I apologize. We made the decision to put in our own technology into it, a small precaution on our part.”

“Aomine is not here anymore. You won’t find him, he’s probably far away from you by now.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Akashi leaned forward, preventing Furihata from moving as he rested his left arm around his waist. “My men will find him, they’re scattered throughout these lands. I’m sure one of them will bring him in.”

Furihata tried to remove himself from Akashi’s hold, but he felt the arm tighten around him, pulling him closer. “And tell me, who else was with him? And don’t lie to me, you know I dislike liars.”

“I don’t know anything!” Furihata sneered, a bit frustrated as he can’t seemed to get away. Before he could even comprehend, he felt himself slammed onto his own desk as Akashi hovered over him, those eyes instilling terror in his own heart. “I don’t…”

“Any information would suffice, _Kouki_.” 

Furihata gasped as he felt his own wind pipe constricted by Akashi’s hand. He immediately grabbed it and tried to tug him off, raping his nails against the fair skin. 

“Don’t try my patience.” Akashi squeezed again as Furihata felt himself suffocating underneath him, his smaller hand weakened.

He started to see stars in his eyes and felt his limbs failing him. He couldn’t keep this up and maybe Akashi would finally end him, he would hurt him only for information. It was pathetic but Akashi released his throat, stroking it in a careful manner. 

Finally, Furihata can breathe again. He coughed harshly and sucked air back into his lungs. He massaged his throat and calmed his senses.

“What do you… what do you want to know? I never seen him before.” He answered truthfully but Akashi didn’t look too pleased. “I don’t know him personally, okay? He’s a little shorter than me with light blue hair and eyes. He’s young and polite…” Not sure what else to add, he stopped.

“Thank you, that’s all I wanted to know. I apologize for hurting you in the process.” Akashi looked mildly contrite and placed a chaste kiss over Furihata’s forehead before he glanced at his face. 

Furihata laid there, hesitant and unmoving. He then closed his eyes, allowing the subtle brushes of their noses together while the warmth of Akashi’s breath tickled his face. 

“Open your eyes.” Akashi whispered. 

Furihata did and a hand cupped the side of his cheek before Akashi dipped in and landed a kiss over his own lips. He immediately retreated his head to the side, these forgotten emotions stirred within him. Akashi was too fond of him, his kisses were never rushed or forced. It was too overwhelming for Furihata to handle.

“Please,” Furihata intaken a sharp breath. “Just leave.”

Furihata felt the small touch against the side of head, the fingers feeling the short hairs. The weight on him was lifted and Akashi stood there fixing his suit and tie. “I’ll be waiting for you.” 

With that, Akashi took his leave. 

Furihata placed a hand over his shirt where his heart was, a feeling he didn’t understand. He remained against the desk and let out his tears in wrecked sobs.

.

“Hey… won’t you get in trouble if you’re here? Aren’t you on your shift?”

The sounds of feathers rustled against Midorima. Emerald-colored eyes looked at Takao who rested his head comfortably on his lap, his sharp eyes staring worryingly.

“Miyaji promised he has my shift covered.” The guard answered.

“You trust him?”

Midorima hinted a smile. “I’m still here, correct?” A hand rose and settled over the brown feathers, stroking them carefully. Takao only nodded and sighed blissfully at the comfort. 

“Yeah…”

Midorima never thought his fate would change after meeting the young hawk shifter, Takao. He heard stories about shifters but never met them in person. After passing a test, Midorima was given a section to watch over some.

His supervisor, Kiyoshi Miyaji gave him the task to survey where the birds stayed, but he didn’t mentioned about this one particular shifter who would catch his attention or said anything about his over-the-top personality.

The first time they met, Takao loved to talk to him as if they were established friends from the start. He chatted about his life high in the skies, how he flew with his family over mountains and learned how to hunt food with a quick swoop, how he missed racing against other winged creatures and taunted the ones who couldn’t fly. Midorima even remembered that one story where Takao had a full-blown argument against a crow because he disliked creatures smaller than him making fun of his wings. Hearing Takao getting ‘grounded’ because he acted like a small hatchling made him laughed.

Midorima had no idea why he would be chosen to speak to, but eventually he didn’t seem to care. He liked hearing Takao talk. It brought him life, an energy he never experienced during his days in Shutoku and he wanted to hear more.

“What are you smiling about?” Takao curiously poked at Midorima’s cheek.

He didn’t know he was smiling to begin with. “Nothing.” He ruffled a bit of Takao’s hair, hearing the small laughs and in that moment, Midorima kissed him on the lips. They never went any further than that. A few light kisses and deeper ones with cuddles were enough for both of them.

“Hey…” Takao whined as he grabbed a few strands of green before Midorima can pull away. “That’s not fair, you tease.” With a tug, Takao brought him back down, continuing the kiss with a more eager reciprocation. Midorima did not mind at all.

When they parted, they quietly laughed together, enveloping in each other’s happiness for a small moment. 

“Shin-chan, when do you think we can leave?”

Midorima’s shoulders fell. He saw the tiny hope glimmering in those eyes. Takao had been insistent with this certain question. Midorima doesn’t blame him though because Shutoku was a base for all shifters and every week, shifters were pulled from there to fight against each other in the arena. Takao had feared his time would come soon.

“It’s not the right time.” He answered slowly.

“Then when is it?” 

“Oi, Midorima!” Miyaji called out from the door. “Time’s up.”

“I have to go.” Midorima sat up as Takao got off of him. “I’ll come back soon.” 

“I’ll be waiting!” Takao beamed.

When Midorima left the area, he didn’t notice the ring of missing keys gone from his belt.

.

“Well, that was quick, how was it?” Mayuzumi asked as he sift through the useless items he found in the bedroom. Shelves and shelves of books, but nothing he can use but he did noticed how everything was particularly cleared out. They knew he would go through the house and they made sure to erase everything before he could find out.

“It went well. Did you find anything about the owner of this house?” Akashi casually looked through the shelves and opened one of the books out of curiosity.

“It seems any information about him was gone so I contacted Hayama about it. It seems this placed belonged to a ‘Tetsuya Kuroko’…” Mayuzumi swiped against the touchscreen of his phone and turned it so Akashi can see. “He sort of reminds me of you actually, definitely the hair.” 

Sadly Akashi has no humor side to begin with.

“Have you alerted the others about it?” Akashi asked as he read the information.

“Yeah, yeah. I already got it done.” Mayuzumi knew Akashi would ask. “We should hear from them soon, they shouldn’t have gone far anyway.”

“It doesn’t matter how far they’ve gotten.” Akashi placed the book back on the shelf and turned to leave the room. “If there’s nothing else we can gain from this place, then burn the place down along with the bodies.”

.

_Kuroko gaped at the three tulips Aomine handed to him, a pink, red, and violet. They were nicely put together with a small blue ribbon wrapped around the stems. He wondered if Aomine knew the meanings behind them when he picked them out._

_“There was a flower shop and I wanted to get you something…” Aomine looked embarrassed as Kuroko noticed the little twiddling of fingers. “The lady there said she’ll help me pick them out so ugh… She said it was free too so I didn’t steal them or anything! And I thought they might cheer you up too…” He continued to ramble on, also mentioning about courting procedures; the first step was to give a flower to their intended but he managed three because one wasn’t enough._

_Kuroko smiled at him though feeling a little bad to see Aomine a bit flustered and nervous like a frantic high school boy._

_“Do you know what these tulips mean, Aomine-kun?”_

_Aomine shook his head._

_“Pink is caring, red is declaration of love, and violet for devotion.” Kuroko’s cheeks heated a little as he explained._

_“Oh- I, ugh-you see...” Aomine’s face turned red and stuttered over his words._

_“It’s okay, I love them. They’re beautiful.” Kuroko stated and pressed his lips against Aomine’s cheek._

And now Kuroko was sitting in a train, taking a four hour-long ride going to the next town. The scenery blurred, passing farmlands and telephone poles. He took the tulips out from inside his jacket and touched the delicate petals, thinking about what Aomine said about courting. It was only the first step and he wondered what the next one would be. 

“Aomine-kun?” Kuroko asked the panther shifter next to him who seemed to be in a daze as watched the outside attentively.

“Mmm?” Aomine turned his head. “What’s up?”

“If possible, I would like to know about your next courting step.”

Aomine grinned. “Nah, that wouldn’t be fun.” He rested his head on Kuroko’s shoulder. “You have to wait and see, Tetsu. We’re not supposed to talk about it anyway, it’s supposed to keep the suspense going.”

“Oh, alright. I look forward to it then.” Kuroko took his free hand, patting the mop of the deep blue hair while hearing the soft purrs coming from Aomine, and a devious tail curled up underneath Kuroko’s jacket, wrapping around his waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading everyone, comments are appreciated!


	14. Author's Note

Thunderclap has been adopted by DragonBlood_Katana as of 07/25/15. Heavenly Blue has been adopted by Aya_A_Anderson as of 07/25/15

Look forward to future updates in regards to these two.


	15. Author's Note 2

Hello everyone! Here's the new link to Thunderclap, there's no new chapter yet but it's to give you guys a chance to subscribe so you'll get all future updates. This is the last time I'll be updating this story with an Author's Note so I'm setting this as Completed. Thank you all for reading this from the very start until now, I'm glad you guys enjoyed this story (despite my writing). If you guys wanna chat, you can find me on unravelthesongbird on Tumblr!!

Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/4650312


	16. More Author's Note

This update is meant to let everyone know that I'm going to be rewriting the chapters on my spare time. I'm NOT continuing the story since it is being done by another author. Chapter 1 is finished and I'll be editing this page that says what chapters have been looked over. I mean, sometimes you look back on your old fics and you go 'damn, this writing is so cringe worthy LOL'. IMPROVEMENTS MUST BE MADE. Yeah so I'll be busy doing that.

If you guys want to contact me, you can send me a message on unravelthesongbird.tumblr.com. Love to talk to any fans or we can chat in general :'). Thanks guys and it's really nice to know this fic still gets kudos from time to time like wow, it makes me really happy!!

Chapter 1: Done

Chapter 2: Done

Chapter 3: Done


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